


"Pretending"

by Rizeru_chan



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Angst, HyungHyuk - Freeform, M/M, One sided love but it doesn't affect the establishment of Hyunghyuk, Oops, Seventeen members as side characters, Side! Showki, The rest of Monsta X as side characters, There are actually a lot of Idols as side characters, sorry to anyone that read this before I added angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-22 06:28:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 80,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7423681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rizeru_chan/pseuds/Rizeru_chan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hyungwon doesn't like to call it, "acting." He prefers to call it, "pretending."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. "Fine"

"Please?" Dark brown eyes were glistening with fake tears and red lips formed a pout, the bottom one jutting out. Hands were gripping his shirt and the proximity of their faces made him cross his eyes. When he felt the other's breath on his neck he couldn't handle it anymore.

"Fine." He rolled his eyes knowing the scene before him like the back of his hand, a pout would turn into a grin, showing small teeth all aligned for display. Cheek bones would make the brown eyes less visible and cause the fake tears to spill over a bit. The hands would let go of his shirt before they wrapped around him and brought him closer. He should be rolling his eyes, he knows he should but it never comes. He just returns the hug and lets the smile appear on his face, enjoying the moment as much as he can before it's over.

-

"How'd it go?" The same brown eyes from before stared up at him with hope, lip jutted out in the same way and the only difference was the intention behind the act.

"Calm down, you're always like this." He shoved his hands in his pockets and began to walk out of the sliding glass doors, his manager running behind him.

"Hyungwon! This time, it's a really big company," the shorter exaggerated the 'really' by stretching out the vowels. Hyungwon scoffed and continued to walk towards the car door.

"You said that about all the other companies. They don't seem all that different. The casual 'Good job, we'll contact you later this week to tell you how you did,' goodbye didn't sound hopeful or hopeless and that's what they all do. Just calm down and wait, if I don't get the part then I don't get the part and we'll go somewhere else." Hyungwon opened the door and waited so his manager could get in first.

"But this one could really get us to the top! They've sold so much merchandise with their advertising and they've made stars Hyungwon, don't you want to be a star?" He could almost see the sparkle in his manager's eyes and mentally sighed to himself with a smile on his face.

"Kihyun, calm down," he repeated for the third time, "you don't even know if I got the part or not."

"That's exactly why I can't calm down. If you get this part, even if it's a short role, there'll be people all over the world asking me to manage them and there'll be so many openings for you." Hyungwon got into the car to sit next to the rambling male and rest his head against the tinted window as words continued to spew out of his manager's mouth.

"Can't you just imagine? This is what we've been waiting for!" Eyes met and smiles matched but the small moment was interrupted by Kihyun's ringtone. "Hello?" The answer he got made him smile even wider and his eyes light, "Hyunwoo! Yeah, we just finished and we're heading back right now." There was static mumbling coming from Kihyun's phone which allowed Hyungwon to finally zone out of the conversation.

"Earth to Hyungwon?" Kihyun's voice rang through his ears and his hand demanded Hyungwon's attention.

"Hm?" He mumbled once he was fully brought back to reality. Kihyun was looking at him worriedly and Hyungwon focused on the blurred trees behind his head so talking would be easier.

"Are you worried about something? I know I'm excited but it's really okay if we don't get it, we can always try again." Hyungwon's lips formed a thin line as he took a breath through is nose. His eyes shifted to Kihyun's and allowed himself to breathe out.

"It's just that..." When Kihyun's head tilted down to look at his phone screen, Hyungwon bit back the upcoming words and frantically searched for another set he could use.

"It's just that I want the role too - I'm worrying about myself so it's not just you. Don't blame yourself for my troubles." He waved his hand lazily and returned is gaze to the window at his shoulder once Kihyun got his phone unlocked. He caught a glimpse of the pattern and wondered what inspired Kihyun to make it like that. He looked at the black screen of his own phone, there wasn't really anything to hide so he never had a use for any kind of security.

The car pulled up to a house Hyungwon has seen many times but knew he didn't want to enter today. He got out to open Kihyun's door, nodding when he was thanked, then slid back onto the leather seats. Kihyun got to his doorstep before noticing Hyungwon was gone and by then the car was already out of the driveway. Hyungwon smiled at Kihyun, mouthing a small farewell even though the other wouldn't see it or the wave of his hands. He settled so his back was on the rest and watched the familiar blur from his windows.

The soft ding he was expecting finally rang and he willed himself to think positively, 'What's wrong?' Although his manager wasn't in the car with him, he still put on a smile as he typed the reply, saying he was just tired and wanted to sleep. Knowing there wouldn't be another reply he let his eyes close till his driver softly woke him up to let him know they were outside his apartment complex.

"Hyungwon-"

"They don't pay you enough," Hyungwon cut his driver off, shoving the forty in his hands before exiting the car, he felt soft droplets touch his cheeks and he looked up at the darkening sky. He waved his driver off, yelling to drive safe before running through the doors held open for him.

Once he entered his apartment he found the couch and collapsed, digging his face into the white plastic. It was cool against his skin, matching the weather outside, and he welcomed it, taking off his coat to use it as a blanket being too lazy to get the one from his bed upstairs. He stared at the blank T.V then the remote, wondering if he wanted to watch or not. Declining himself he turned over on the couch, pulling the coat over himself more and he found himself falling asleep.

-

The next time he woke up, it was the morning and he calculated twelve hours of sleep. He tried to find the stirring device that caused his awakening and he found it wedged between the crease of two cushions. Fishing for it, he squinted at the familiar letters before answering.

"Hello," he answered, voice laced sleep but he didn't care, it was six in the morning - too early to function.

"Hyungwon!" His manager's voice came blaring through the speakers, effectively getting him to sit up right away

"Kihyun are you okay?" He pressed the palm of his hand to the left side of his aching head, pulling the phone away from his ear so it wouldn't get worse.

"Hyungwon! They called me! They called me and told me that you got the part! You got the part Hyungwon!" His eyes were able to relax back into a closed state and he laid back down onto his plastic couch, some spots still warm and welcoming. He positioned himself so he could just rest his phone against his ear and retreat both arms underneath the coat.

"That's great Kihyun..." He yawned and felt his head swirl with dizziness as he was beginning to return to the world of sleep.

"Hyungwon! Why aren't you excited?? You got the part!" He nodded, forgetting Kihyun wasn't in the room with him.

"I'm sleeping."

"Are you sure you're okay? Are you sick? You're usually awake at this time." Kihyun's worried voice disturbed Hyungwon's state of drowsiness by adding a bit of guilt to his stomach. He sighed and sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"I'm not sick, I'm just really tired, I didn't get any sleep yesterday because I was practicing for the part. If you called while I was still awake I would be a lot more excited about it. Wanna go out for breakfast to celebrate? I'll pay, we could go to Asahan." There was a bit of mumbling after Hyungwon made his suggestion and he wished he could take it back.

"Yeah! I'm bringing Hyunwoo too, is that okay?" Hyungwon put on a smile again and nodded.

"Yeah that's fine, see you there, bye," he huffed and dropped his hand, getting up to feel at least a little more awake, he found himself in his bathroom, staring at his reflection. He wouldn't say he has depression but lately smiling had been somewhat of a challenge. He splashed cold water on his face and freshened up before heading out.

The first thing he noticed after walking out of his apartment was that he might have gone too early, they never really set a time.

"Hello?" Kihyun asked on the other side of the line.

"What time do you wanna go?"

"Are you heading there right now?"

"No! I was just wondering so I could make the reservation." He stopped in place and admired the azure sky dusted with gray, stuffing his free hand in the pocket of his coat.

"Hm, Hyunwoo-" There was mumbling on the other side of the line again and Hyungwon broke his gaze to look at something grayer, the sidewalk. "How about we go in an hour? I think it's still a little too early. I guess that would beat the breakfast rush wouldn't it..." The sound of Kihyun thinking made it through the phone and Hyungwon smirked to himself. "You said you were making a reservation anyway right? Hyungwon?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah I'm going to make a reservation, so we don't have to wait."

"Yeah, make it in an hour. Thanks, Hyungwon! Congratulations!" The smirk grew into a calm smile.

"You too Kihyun, see you later." He let his phone sleep after the call ended and looked up at the clouds again. Releasing the extra air from his lungs he closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them again and observing the world around him.

There was a bench to his left and he contemplated about sitting on it before following his thoughts. He people watched for a while, keeping track of who came in and who came out before his eyes drifted towards the street and thoughts trailed towards memories of his mother. He missed her and at times like these, he wished he could call her for a shoulder to lean on.

He quietly wondered to himself in the midst of the early city life how his mother would advise him through his situation, with what he knew she would probably tell him to get a date, even if it were a fake one, he chuckled to himself before averting his thoughts to the role he was supposed to play for the part he just got cast in. His character wasn't very different from the other ones he's auditioned for and frankly, he had a feeling he would get it but the lie was worth the reaction.

"Chae Hyungwon," a voice said to his right and he looked at the starstruck fan. He put on a smile and waved gently, fixing his posture, scooting over to make more room than there already was. Every so often, he would bump into fans and sign for them, he wasn't expecting it to happen so close to his apartment.

"Do you want an autograph?" He asked once the fan sat, he tried to ignore the fact the fan was wearing sunglasses but he couldn't help but ask, "It's kind of dark out, isn't it bad for your eyes to wear sunglasses in weather like this?"

"No, I- Yes please," He searched his pockets for paper and something to write with and Hyungwon enjoyed the show in the meantime. "Oh, uh... Thanks for caring about my eyes too, they're sensitive to sunlight so..." Hyungwon gave him a look, expecting him to continue what he was saying. "Oh, my name's Mmmm-Yujin. My name is Yujin."

"You sure about that?" Hyungwon held in his laugh, writing a small note on the paper before asking for the spelling. He finished up the note with his signature and gave the stranger one last smile before waving him off.

The cold finally got to him and he decided he could take a warm shower before heading to Asahan. It was a cozy restaurant, tables were circular giving it an elegant feel but the overall set up with aligned tables and chairs made it feel more casual. The menu offered more than the usual servings but less than a high-paying restaurant would ensue and nothing was too overpriced.

They found the restaurant when Hyunwoo first moved in. The first time they ate there the workers pranked them by telling them about famous dishes and since it was their first time they ordered a small meal for each of them. When the waiters came out with their plates all they saw were simple dishes that would barely fill a hamster. The workers snapped a picture of their faces then proceeded to tell them about the tradition they had before giving them their actual meal. From then on they ate there together, waiting for new people to stumble in and fall for the pranks. Recently, though, they haven't been going together and instead they went in pairs it's the first time in two years since they've gone altogether.

He was the first one to arrive and he was thankful because he thought it would be embarrassing to show up last to a spot he reserved himself, he sat at the table and scrolled through his phone, not really knowing what to do.

"Hey, Hyungwon!" A smile could be heard in Kihyun's voice and it brought a genuine one to Hyungwon's lips.

"Kihyun, Hyunwoo, how are you guys?" He greeted them like usual as they took their seats across from him. He looked at the small bag in Kihyun's hands with expectancy. "Kihyun did you really-"

"Yes! Our dream is finally becoming true and I can't not get you a gift on a day as special as this!" He set the box in front of the tall male and waited excitedly for his reaction.

Hyungwon looked at the box, wondering about the contents and what could make Kihyun so excited. "You know double negatives are grammatically incorrect." He picked up the small package and moved the tissue paper aside only to see another small box underneath. He gave Kihyun a look, which only made the other laugh, before pulling the separate box out. "It's cute, where'd you get it?"

It was a small black pepper spray bottle with a chain on the end so he could put it on his keys. Doing just that he thanked his manager, struggling slightly before actually getting it.

"You're going to get a lot more famous and just in case there are some crazy fans I thought you would like it so you could stay protected you know?" Kihyun was on the edge of his seat, reaching out to help Hyungwon with the metal.

"How kind of you but I don't think it'll be that much more different. It's just one show Kihyun." He took the connected pepper spray and reattached his keys to his belt loop. "Did you get one too? I heard there are desperate actors that attack managers because they need one."

"I've had one, I've never used it, though. Wouldn't it be exciting to use it for the first time?"

"You're excited for someone to attack you... Hyunwoo you need to watch out for him, I think he might spray himself in the face." He looked to the male who was sitting silently by himself and smiled at the nod.

"Hello, my name is Etha and I'll be your server this morning." A lady came smiling up to the table, menus in her hand along with a notepad. "Can I get you anything to drink?" She pulled the pen out from under her blond strands and looked to Hyungwon.

"I'll just have coffee, thank you." He quickly looked down at the menu after she nodded.

"And for you sir?" Hyunwoo looked up from the menu, lost for a second.

"Oh, I'll have water." They nodded at each other before she turned to Kihyun who repeated the same drink.

"Can I have coffee with water please?" Kihyun asked sheepishly. His fingers were fumbling with the sides of the menu and he looked everywhere but the waitress. She nodded and wrote down a few things before looking up again.

"Would you like creamer on the side?"

"Yes please." The two ordering coffee answered in unison before chuckling at each other.

"Anyway, I would not spray myself in the face." Hyungwon looked to Hyunwoo then they both turned to look at Kihyun.

"I think you would..."

"I would not! Who's side are you on?" Kihyun hit Hyunwoo's chest with the menu gently.

"I'm always on your side but Kihyun, you would spray yourself on accident. If that happens then I'll be there to carry you to safety." Hyungwon made a sour face and covered his eyes, complaining about his innocence. "It wasn't even bad that time, Kihyun is cheesier than I am." Hyunwoo reached over to move Hyungwon's shoulder.

"So where have you been anyway? I haven't seen you in a while." He recovered by leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

"Oh, I went to a camp for training. I really only had time to go there and home, plus I left really early and came back late." Hyungwon raised his eyebrow before remembering a statement Hyunwoo made a few months back.

"Right, police force. How're you liking it?" The conversation lead to a halt when the waitress came back with their drinks.

"Two coffees and two glasses of water, are you ready to order?" She stood politely and the three nodded, looking at the menus out of habit and to make sure they get the name of the order right.

"I'll have the strawberry Nutella crepe."

"Can I have the breakfast burrito please?" He pointed to the picture and Etha nodded, writing the name down. She finally looked to Hyungwon.

"I'll have the bacon and egg crescent please, thank you." He closed the menu and helped her collect the laminated papers. As she made her way back he repeated the question from before.

"Uh... It's okay, it's a little different from how I thought it would be but it's nothing I can't handle. Kihyun," Hyunwoo immediately addressed the man looking at his phone. "Don't you want something else? You know... like... Actual food?"

"Plenty of people have crepes for breakfast if it weren't a proper breakfast meal then why did they put it in the breakfast section?" Kihyun crossed his legs dramatically, causing Hyungwon to snort and agree with a nod. Kihyun raised his eyebrow, prodding the inside of his cheek with his tongue snobbishly.

"Before you guys break up, what time do they want us at their studio?" Kihyun's second eyebrow rose with Hyungwon's question and he looked down at his phone, swiping a few things here and there he finally found the details.

"They want us at ten, do you want to come with us?" The question was directed to Hyunwoo.

"Am I allowed to go?" He looked to Hyungwon who just shrugged and looked to Kihyun.

"I mean... You should be... I'll ask."

"Okay," Etha came right as Kihyun returned his phone to his pocket, "Strawberry Nutella crepe?" Kihyun raised his hand and helped her guide the plate to a space in front of him. "Breakfast burrito?" Shownu did the same, as well as Hyungwon.

They ate and continued to catch up as if it has been three years since they last saw each other but in reality, it was only a few months.

-

Stepping out of the car, Hyungwon's jaw dropped at the several buildings set in uniform next to each other, from where he was standing he could see four large studio garages all at least twenty-five feet tall.

"Now I know why you were so excited for everything, these guys don't play around. How many episodes am I going to be in again?"

"Five, you're part of the backstory. Not a lot but it's enough to get your name out there and getting signed to this show would make other auditions a lot easier, plus once an actor appears on a show, even if they're just an extra, their managers and agents get a partnership with the producers. They're really open to feedback and always do their best to please the viewers which are why they're such a popular company."

"So this isn't one of those cheesy kid ones are they?"

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm sorry?" Kihyun punched Hyungwon's shoulder playfully with a pout. "In my defense, the part of the script they gave us was the most serious part - but anyway, in all the five episodes your filming for, none of it is cheesy and this company makes adult shows."

"How adult?"

"Adult enough to let you know that you won't be participating in the sex scene." Hyungwon nodded, Kihyun lead them to the first studio, holding his phone in his hand as his arm was wrapped around Shownu's. Hyungwon looked around the inside, even more amazed. The ceilings were incredibly high, like one of those optical illusions where the inside is bigger than the outside. There were workers in the back, setting up cameras and walls that seemed like rooms. There was a familiar humming of overlapping voices but one, in particular, stood out.

"Welcome!" A young boy, way too young to be someone's manager, walked up to them with his hands moving to and fro excitedly. "Glad you could make it! We're doing a simple shoot today for advertisement and everything. Plus you need to be introduced to everyone - Wow you are so handsome!" Hyungwon shrank under the compliment, a light blush forming on his cheeks. "Humble too, being embarrassed like that! Anyway, my name is Chan but others might call me Dino, I'm one of the interns here. It's a lovely company trust me." His eyes were so sincere Hyungwon returned his smile, "I'm sure you'll have a great time in the filming of..." he checked his clipboard, "five episodes? Aw, what a shame you can't stay longer." There was a faint scream of his stretched out name and he flashed one last smile before speeding off.

The tap on his shoulder turned him around and he was met with another man wearing a similar outfit to the previous, white shirt and khaki pants with a headset for contacting, but he was a little slimmer and a lot less hyper than Chan. "You're Mr. Chae right?" He looked between Hyungwon and the clipboard.

"You can just call me Hyungwon."

"Mhm, is he your manager?" With his pen, the slim boy pointed towards the couple.

"The shorter of the two, is the other allowed to be here with us?" 

"I believe so, Mr. Yoo called earlier about having a guest with you two, Boss didn't say it was a problem. Please follow me." He turned swiftly and Hyungwon whisper-shouted to the two behind him before diligently walking behind the second assistant.

"Thank you Minghao, go help Mingyu fix the lighting. It's nice to see you again Hyungwon." The man who cast his audition stood, crossing his arms and watching the other actors take their pictures. Hyungwon took a glance and admired the confidence. He was suddenly filled with worry about whether they would shoot him now or later. His feelings must have been obvious because his name was called again. "You don't mind shooting today, do you? We could always reschedule, the show won't premiere until the twentieth of next month."

Hyungwon looked to Kihyun but he already saw the shrug coming, stuttering, he let out a small, "We could shoot something today."

"Great! Mingyu," he snapped his fingers, catching Hyungwon's attention as well as another man.

"Yeah?" He received a glare and immediately corrected himself, "Y-yes Mr. Lee?"

"Get Hyungwon ready for his pictures and shooting. Jun, can you come here for a second?" The one just posing for pictures walked over, making sure he wouldn't ruin any of his clothes.

"Yeah? Need something?" He hid his hands in his pockets waiting for the command.

"This is Chae Hyungwon, your costar. Hyungwon this is Wen Junhui but-"

"But I like to be called Jun, nice to meet you." They shook hands briefly before Mr.Lee cleared his throat and began talking again.

"Anyway, you two should get to know each other. Jun show him around the set after bringing him to the dressing room, in the meantime, you could show Mr. Yoo and his friend," he said before walking off, touching his earpiece to listen to the incoming information.

"How long have you been working here?" Kihyun asked immediately. Jun was slightly taken aback and Mingyu took the chance to answer.

"I'm an intern, I've been coming here for a few months now." Kihyun nodded and looked to Jun for his answer, Hyungwon chuckled at the embarrassed look forming on Mingyu's face. He turned his heel, ignoring the fact Hyungwon saw and walked away. Jun caught the sight of him leaving and followed

"Well I've been acting since I was young, but here specifically," he counted on his fingers, Hyungwon averted his attention to watching him curiously, "About two years and seven months,"

"Pretty specific for the word about," Hyungwon stated. Jun smirked at him and opened a brown door to reveal a smaller room. Once again, Mingyu took initiative and walked right through, making Jun hang his head in secondhand embarrassment but Hyungwon shook his head in reassurance. "I think he should have gone in first anyway, thanks." Jun nodded and told him he would come back before Mingyu finished his hair.

He sat in the chair awkwardly trying to find words to start a conversation but instead he could only watch Mingyu look through the several combs and scissors. He touched his light brown hair gently and wondered if he needed a new hairstyle for the show, he remembered Kihyun asking him how he felt about his current hairstyle and wondered if this is what it was about.

"Are you going to dye my hair?" "Are you okay with me dying your hair?" The two asked at the same time. Hyungwon's mouth hung open and Mingyu sheepishly repeated his question.

"I guess it depends on what color you're changing it to." He looked back into the mirror, shuddering when he tried to imagine himself with mustard yellow hair.

"Some people, my boss especially, would say that it's not really a color. Are you okay with changing it to black?"

"Yeah black's fine," he relaxed, finding another comfortable position.

-

The first thing Kihyun did was whistle and it made Hyungwon shy under their gazes. He looked to Jun who nodded approvingly to Mingyu. Hyungwon pulled at the black strands and tried to look at them before walking to look at himself in the mirror again. The change was shocking, to say the least, but if other people thought it looked nice then it shouldn't be that bad.

"Seungcheol chose the right color, it suits him," Mingyu praised from the side. Jun gave him a once over before taking his arm to show him around.

"Have you met Seungcheol already?" Jun asked and Hyungwon had to rack his brain for a certain face.

"Uhh, he was at the audition right?" He barely remembered the smiley man, there were three people in the room with him when he took the audition but he was pretty sure Seungcheol was the one sitting in the middle.

"Yeah, he's in charge of our image, so he chooses the outfits, hairstyles, backgrounds, and he makes the commercials. The smaller one," Jun held up his hand to around his chest area and Hyungwon thought back to the one who introduced them to each other. "That's Jihoon, he's the scriptwriter, pretty self-explanatory right?" He checked on Hyungwon who was looking around curiously but nodded when Jun stopped talking.

Hyungwon was amazed at how many people there were, and how they all seemed to know each other. "How long have you all been working together?"

"Well, once you join the company, you're basically stuck in the loop. The contract states a permanent partnership that is always there but doesn't have to hold you back from anything. You're not obligated to work for us if you don't want to but if you were to come back, it would be like you never left. I'm pretty surprised Soonyoung chose you to play the role." Hyungwon furrowed his brow, not knowing how to feel about that statement.

"Oh! I didn't mean it in a bad way, you must be an amazing actor if you got the part!" Jun's statement didn't help Hyungwon's feelings at all and he tried to find the right words to explain what he meant.

"Okay, so you auditioned and there were a lot of people, most of those people were already within the company. Usually, after auditions are over, Soonyoung would choose someone that's already partnered with us because it's safer and they know how we do things. If we expand our partnership to just anyone we're bound to start running downhill. There aren't too many people that get in as actors, either, there hasn't been a new person in a good year actually."

"How are there so many people if you don't give out partnerships to just anyone?"

"Most of the people here are interns, we're a famous company so it looks good on college applications and resumes. Oh, speaking of the person that chose you, Hosh!" Jun cupped his mouth with his hands so the yell was loud enough to catch several people's attention yet only one person turned.

He walked up to them with a hop in his step, smile on his face, and sweatband in his hair. "Yo! Nice to see you again Mr.Chae! I'm glad you came today. did Seungcheol pick out this hair?" He twisted his head to look at Jun.

"Yeah, you don't like it?"

"He looks different than I thought he would but it's nice, don't worry." He gave Hyungwon a pat on the shoulder. "Where's Mr. Yoo?"

"Uhh..." Hyungwon tried to search for his manager but there wasn't a sign of him.

"No matter, Jun, you know what Mr. Yoo looks like right? Can you go find him for me?"

"Yeah, are you bringing him somewhere after this?"

Soonyoung thought for a moment before snapping his fingers, "He didn't take pictures yet did he?"

"No, he just finished getting his hair dyed. Jihoon wanted me to bring him here right after so he hasn't seen Seungcheol yet."

"Seungcheol wasn't at the front?"

"No, I think he checked up on something so Jihoon was taking over."

"Oh, okay I'll ask about it later, go find his manager because I have to talk to him still."

"Okay, I'll be off then." Jun lazily saluted with two fingers before walking off.

"You're okay with this right? We just need to get your voice, I don't think I planned any videos but there is a possibility! After the photoshoot maybe, when you're dressed. But for now, I'll just give you a bigger script from the first episode for you to say all your lines."

"No, I don't mind."

"Great! Okay, where's the script? Here's the script, the recording room is in there, you could walk in, meet the people in there. If there's someone recording we could just wait and if Jun finds your manager in time I'll bring him inside with me, I just have to finish arranging some things, you know where to go right?" Hyungwon turned his head and pointed to the door a few steps to his left and Soonyoung nodded, "Great! I'm Soonyoung by the way, people call me Hoshi and or Hosh when they need me quickly, uhhh, I'm in charge of the mood, when you're acting I'll either tell you to emphasize this or make that more moody, I'm here to make sure you give the right feel when you're on screen, plus I make sure that everyone understands what they're doing. The scriptwriter hates when we have to rush episode filming to get it out on time."

"Hoshi!"

"That's my cue, remember- that door. Bye, they'll tell you what to do once to get in there!" He began to walk backward, causing some people stop in their tracks so they wouldn't bump into him. Every time someone almost crashed into Soonyoung, Hyungwon would wince. Seeing that he made it safely to where he was called, Hyungwon walked towards the door, reviewing the first few lines in his head.


	2. Parties

"Of course, you care about what other people say, that's just like everyone else." Hyungwon stood, clad in a white shirt, light-blue jeans, and white shoes. He looked around, breaking eye-contact with the person in front of him. "I guess it doesn't matter anyway. I had a feeling this would happen." He turned his heel and began to walk away.

"Wait!" The other called but made no move to go after him. The black sleeves covered his clenched fists and his legs, covered in the same light-blue jean material, stayed put but shook with an impulse to run but a command to freeze. Hyungwon stopped briefly, just to look back, before continuing.

"And cut!" The director called. Hyungwon let out a sigh of relief and made his way back to where the camera could see him. "Great job, Hyungwon, that looked perfect, you too Wonwoo." Hyungwon turned to praise his co-star, holding his hand out in apology for the previous scene.

"You were amazing, I almost thought you would start crying," he praised. Wonwoo took his hand gratefully, praising him as well.

"You've been shaking my hand after every scene your character makes mine feel bad, it's just acting. If you're feeling sorry you don't have to be." They walked over to the rest of the staff, all taking orders on what should be done now that the last scene was filmed.

"You have to make it seem real and that's pretty hard, plus I've heard you're a method actor so you must have thought of something sad."

"A puppy dying, calm down Hyungwon. I'm fine I promise." Wonwoo gave him a pat on the back, to further reassure him but Hyungwon still felt a bit of guilt in his chest.

"We're a little behind schedule but it's nothing too big to worry about." Hyungwon heard the director mention to himself.

"Jihoon you better not be worrying about it because we finished the episode two weeks before it's supposed to air and the next episode won't come out until five weeks from now." The image producer warned.

"Yes, but after that, we will need to be giving weekly updates which will give us five weeks to make every new episode, even less if we fall even more behind. we have to account for the weather and health of everyone here, plus there's the fact that the script can-"

"Jihoon." Soonyoung piped up from the sidelines, "Calm down, we finished this episode in less than two weeks, five should be way more than enough."

"Still, you know how things usually go and I'm not okay with having another event." Hyungwon looked around at all the sighing faces had a feeling it wasn't the first time Jihoon has brought it up.

He was dismissed and allowed to leave but Kihyun was still talking to some of the staff. He took the chance to walk around more, two weeks at the studios and he's still not used to everything. Just yesterday he got lost during the break because he needed to use the restroom.

"Hyungwon!" A gentle voice called him and he tried to find a face for it before turning.

"Jisoo, thanks again for helping me out yesterday."

"No problem, it's happened to all of us. Great job today, it's like you meant what you said." The slim man touched his earpiece but made no gesture to leave Hyungwon at the moment.

"Jisoo can I ask you something?"

"If you're wondering what Jihoon was referring to before, we were behind on schedule this one time and everyone, I mean everyone, working that night had to stay a whole two days without sleep so they could get it done. The actors were messing up from sleep deprivation, Soonyoung and Seungcheol became irritated with everything and got strict on what was to be done, but it really hit Jihoon the hardest, it was supposed to be one of his best shows but the viewers wanted something different than what he had in mind so he had to change everything. He's just a little paranoid of it now but you don't have to worry, we have a lot more people to make sure we don't get too behind."

"Why does he change the script, why didn't he just keep it, I mean it's his show anyway right?" They both moved out of the way so the line of cameramen could clean out the floor.

"Well, he changes the script so people don't guess what'll happen, if the show is predictable, it gets boring which makes the views go down, if there are plot twists and surprises, then the audience stays and the company is happy."

"Oh," was all Hyungwon could dumbly say, causing an awkward silence until Jisoo excused himself. Feeling embarrassed by letting the conversation end that way, he went in search of Kihyun, he should be done by now.

"Hyungwon!" Jihoon called. He looked down at the smaller like a trained soldier waiting for a command.

"You can relax, I'm just a little stressed today. I just came over to congratulate you, I know there was a lot of critiques but you did great, really. I also came over to give you the script for the next episode, I know you just finished the first but-"

"Don't worry Mr.Lee, I'll learn the script in a week." He took the thick stack of papers and smiled when he saw the scriptwriter deflate into a state of relief. "What were you so scared of?"

"Well, it's been a while since we've gotten new actors and the last time there was, he felt overworked and almost tried to sue us so I was worried you were going to be like that too."

"No, it's fine, I'm here to act anyway, if I didn't want this job then I wouldn't have auditioned. Don't kill yourself too much. Do you need help delivering the rest of the scripts? I could do it for you." He held out his arms while Jihoon looked at him like he was some guardian angel.

"Thank you, so much. There are names at the top right there." He dumped the stack into Hyungwon's arms and pointed to the very top left-hand corner. "And if you don't know someone you're free to ask around. Thank you so much!" With that, he sped off to do the other important things he had to do. Hyungwon did what he said and passed out the papers. When he came to someone he didn't really know, he put them at the bottom of the pile but soon enough, he was left with a stack full of unknown actors.

"Uh..." He looked around at the busy people, he didn't want to bother the workers so he continued to spin around in a circle to find someone just standing around.

"Need help?" A sudden voice whispered into his ear and he tumbled forward in shock for a moment. He looked back to see very kind eyes, filled with curiosity and a bit of concern, there were hands on his shoulder and it took him a while to figure out they were there so he wouldn't fall.

"Uh..." He fixed himself, adjusting the papers and his posture. "Y-yes please, I'm trying to find... Ch-Changkyun?"

"Yeah, I know where he is, follow me." Without offering a hand, he began to walk off and Hyungwon was left to scramble after him.

"Changkyun!" The stranger opened a door as he repeated the name several times. Hyungwon entered and recognized it as the break room. He saw a few familiar faces but he wasn't comfortable with any of them.

"Yeah?" a much more calm answer reached Hyungwon's ear as he entered the beige colored room. There were a few people sitting on the couch, some were talking around a table but he focused on the person coming closer to him.

"Uh- the- Oh- Uhm- Script." He held the paper out, pressing his lips together and trying to keep his blush down. He couldn't remember meeting this person but if he was getting the script then it would be better to meet him sooner than later.

"Oh, are you the new intern? Jihoon's already sending out the second script huh?" Hyungwon hung his mouth open, trying to find the right thing to say but the words got caught in his throat.

"He's not an intern, stupid, he's your costar. You guys haven't filmed an episode together yet. This is Chae Hyungwon, Hyungwon, this is Lim Changkyun. Hyungwon's here to film the first part of the show, for the main character's backstory. Hyungwon, his role is the main character's best friend."

"Oh, sorry about that, nice to meet you!" He held his hand out and Hyungwon reached for it on impulse, causing papers to become unbalanced before they began to fall. Quickly, Hyungwon jerked his hand back down and pressed the papers against any body part before they hit the floor.

"N-nice to meet you too. Sorry, I uh, have to keep going but we can talk later." He lifted his knee up and shook a little in attempts to keep balance but he had to move his knee to the floor several times. His imagination allowed him to feel the hundred of eyes on him and let him know just how red his face was. Making sure to keep his face hidden he finally got the papers in order again before leaving. After the door was closed he took a breath.

"You still don't know who any of those people are," the same voice from before was whispered into his ear and he straightened his back right away. He felt hands at his sides and he jumped a little more but they held him down just slightly.

"Calm down, you're going to fall on your face if you keep jumping like that." The hands slowly moved away and Hyungwon turned to see the one helping him before.

"Thank you."

"There's no need to thank me, do you want me to take those off your hands?" He held out his own and Hyungwon looked down at the stack. "Why did you even take them from Jihoon when you don't know everyone?" Hyungwon shrugged, still trying to control his blush.

"I wanted to help, plus I thought I did. It's just a few more people if you could just show me what they look like I could-"

"Hyungwon!" His name was called from the distance and he recognized it instantly. "There you are, what are you doing here? I was waiting for, like, fifteen minutes. Gyo's been waiting at least twice than that, let's go!" He shouted a few paces away and beckoned Hyungwon to follow him.

"Hold on!" He whisper-shouted with enough exaggeration so Kihyun could read his lips. He made a gesture to the person in front of him and Kihyun's facial expressions changed immediately.

"Who is this?" Kihyun put on a suggestive smile, making his way over and Hyungwon fought the urge to roll his eyes, giving into what Kihyun wanted and began to introduce the guy.

"This is uh..."

"Name's Minhyuk, Lee Minhyuk. I've been working here for a good year now, he looked like a lost puppy when I saw him so I helped pass out a few scripts." Kihyun nodded, processing the situation before his smile got even wider than before.

"I'm sure he already thanked you but thank you again. I have to get going before our driver quits on us." He inched backward.

"Wait- Kihyun! I still have to finish passing these out and-"

"You put this on yourself Hyungwon!" A tongue poked through pink lips and was gently trapped between two teeth before disappearing into the sea of people.

"If you give me the stack now, you could still catch him, you know."

"Nah, it's fine. He won't really leave without me. Can you tell me where this person is?" He pointed to the name, "Yoon Jeonghan."

"Yeah, he usually stays over here..."

-

"I can't believe he just left..." Hyungwon's jaw hung open slightly before a gentle hand pushed it back up.

"Some kind of manager you have. I'm guessing you need a ride?"

"Well, he doubles as my friend so stuff like this would happen eventually, and I could just take the bus."

"And get trampled by fans? Technically I was the last person who saw you and if anything happened I would be blamed for not offering a safer way when I could have easily provided one."

"Would you really?" Hyungwon's worried voice brought laughter to Minhyuk's throat and he stepped back when it erupted.

"Of course not, don't worry too much or else you'll hurt yourself. You will get trampled by fans, though so if you need a ride follow me." He pulled out his keys from his pocket and strutted over to another part of the parking lot. Hyungwon stood in place for a while, debating on whether he should obey the stranger-danger rule or trust the person that's been helping him for the past hour.

"Thank you," he said when he slipped into the passenger's seat.

"No need, I offered didn't I?"

"Yeah... But still... I live at Tatell."

"It's not even that far." The car started up and the buildings got farther away as road lights became closer.

"So are you an actor or?" Hyungwon tried his best to fill the awkward silence but when the question came out he felt like he added to the tension until Minhyuk answered.

"Kind of, I got the partnership by starring in a movie but I haven't really done anything after that, none of the roles really interested me so I never auditioned. It's fun to hang around the crew so I naturally became part of the staff and help here and there. What made you want to audition for this series? And a small part at that?"

"I'm not really the one interested in the company, my manager slash agent is. You remember Kihyun."

"Ah, yes, the friend that left you." Minhyuk let out a small chuckle and Hyungwon checked the new message his phone received.

"It's him," he cleared with Minhyuk before opening the app and continuing his statement. "Yeah, he's always wanted to work with the people here so he begged me to audition and..."

"And?" Minhyuk stole a glance at what Hyungwon got distracted by and voiced his concern on what the message was about.

"Oh, it's not bad, just surprising." His ears turned pink again reading the words for the second time.

"Well are you going to tell me or are you going to leave me lost like you were earlier?"

"Hey, I would have been fine on my own." Minhyuk released air out of his nose in a silent laugh, lips curling up as he waited for Hyungwon to share the message. "He said he was having a party tonight and that I should bring someone, do you mind going? Since he asked, he'd make fun of me if I didn't do so." He waved his phone as proof but Minhyuk wasn't able to read it anyway.

"Well one, you would have stayed there till nine, especially since you've only ever been in that one building. Two, a party sounds nice, can you text me the address?" He lifted one side of his body to pull his phone out. "The passcode is Eleven-o-three"

"Why, have a passcode if you just share it like that?" Hyungwon clicked on several customized icons only to see that they weren't the app he was looking for.

"It's the one with the pile of bears stacked on top of each other."

"What's the significance? Of your passcode and the icons."

"Oh, the passcode is my birthday, I thought the icon packet was cute so I got it. Before you start judging, the default icons look boring and the bear ones were free."

"I'm not judging," his voice didn't quite match his statement and he got shoved to the side. "Hey! I think it's... cute" He laughed again when he saw the hand rushing towards his face. "Hey keep your eyes on the road, if we crash that really will be your fault." Finishing up the message he sent to himself he dropped the phone back into Minhyuk's lap then attended to his own phone.

"To answer your previous question," Minhyuk started, "there isn't anything special on my phone, I just thought that having a lock would keep it from getting stolen since they can't use it if they can't get in. Plus I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have done anything."

"Well, you never know. I could have downloaded a bunch of apps or filled your gallery with random pictures."

"Eh, that's nothing compared to what my other friends have done, they've sent my mom..." His face contorted into one of disgust, "messages, that I've had to explain. They've hacked it once so that every time I unlocked it, it would take a picture of me. I got it removed but it was so annoying, I didn't figure out till three weeks after and have you ever seen your face when you're unlocking your phone? It's not as attractive as you think it would be. Oh, they've changed my passcode several times too, so if you got it wrong I would have been locked out for a good year."

"Wow, and I thought what Kihyun did was bad."

"You remember Changkyun." Hyungwon nodded, face popping into his mind almost immediately. "Don't let him or Jooheon touch your phone, they're the ones that sent my mom messages and changed my passcode."

"I don't even have a lock on my phone." Hyungwon looked at the black screen with a small pout.

"Yeah, you really don't want to give it to them then. Tatell right? Here's your stop." Hyungwon watched the sidewalk slowly stop moving back until it was blocked by the car door. He pulled out his wallet to pay but Minhyuk grabbed his wrist before he could even unfold the single half.

"What are you doing?" His voice was stern enough to keep Hyungwon still as he let go but soft enough to know there wouldn't be fatal harm if he continued his actions.

"You helped me with the scripts and," he emphasized the conjunction word, "You drove me back home. You didn't have to do either of those things so the least I could do is give you some gas money."

"It's completely fine Hyungwon, did you forget we're both working with Stars Corporation? You know, the Corporation that makes stars." He waved his hands around as if it would help the man to understand better.

"Yeah I get that but it would still make me feel better." He opened his wallet and almost got the twenty out but the hand caught his wrist again.

"Hyungwon, really, it's fine."

"Minhyuk-" There was a horn going off, shocking them both away from each other. Minhyuk turned back and flipped the other driver off, glaring at the driver as they pulled up in front of him to drop off his girl, he flipped the girl off too as she walked into the building with an annoyed look on her face.

"You can return the favor some other way, I don't like taking money. Now get inside before your neighbors call the cops on me."

"They wouldn't do that, but fine." Hyungwon finally opened his door and stepped out, waving to the car as it drove off. Stuffing his hands in his pockets. His phone went off and he saw the twelve text essays from Kihyun.

It was paragraph after paragraph of how he wanted his party to go and if Hyungwon would help him set up. Every time Hyungwon tried to send a message a new one would pop up so he dialed Kihyun's number and headed up to his apartment.

"How do you type so fast?" He fumbled with the keys before finally getting into his apartment.

"You learn when there are several companies contacting you at once. Anyway, can you get ingredients?"

"Yeah, when do you need them?" He put Kihyun on speaker, opening up his notes. "Can you tell me what you need?"

"I need..." The sound of Kihyun mumbling wasn't distinguishable on Hyungwon's line so he waited patiently. "I'll send you a list, can you get them right now." Hyungwon stopped in his track up the gravel stairs, mentally sighing before making his way back down.

"Yeah, did you already tell Gyo to come pick me up or should I call him?"

"Uhh, call him. I'll have to get ready thanks, Hyungwon!" The line went dead right after and Hyungwon pulled his coat on again.

-

"Snazzy" Minhyuk cooed when Hyungwon greeted him at the door wearing all black, black sweater with matching ripped black jeans. In his hand, Minhyuk held a small box with the words "Drunk, Stoned, or Stupid" written on the sides in random directions. "I brought a party game." He shook the contents gently.

"I've never played it before," He stepped to the side to let Minhyuk in and observed the rest of the box, shutting the door after.

"Am I underdressed?" He began to shrug off his black windbreaker, leaving him in a white shirt and gray static joggers.

"No, everyone's wearing about the same thing." He ran his hand through his hair and brought the light-haired male to the living room where a good amount of staff met his eyes.

"Hey! Minhyuk right? I didn't think Hyungwon would bring you." Knowing fully well the statement was a lie, Hyungwon secretly gave him the finger before asking Minhyuk if he wanted a drink.

"What do you have?" Hyungwon brought him slightly away so they wouldn't disturb their entranced friends.

"Uhh, Coke, Fanta, A&W, MUG, Pepsi, Sprite..."

"Do you have Cherry Cola?" Helping the other out he grinned when Hyungwon nodded and walked off. Minhyuk observed the other people in the room. Seungcheol and Soonyoung were there and they wouldn't have come without Jihoon. He saw Changkyun and he comes in a pair with Jooheon, same thing with Wonwoo and Mingyu. Jeonghan was there was well, he must have brought Jisoo. It looked like most of the staff was here with two interns, Minghao must have been invited by Jun.

"Here." Hyungwon held out the cooled can. Minhyuk took it gratefully and tried to look for a place to sit but his eyes watched Hyungwon walk into another room. Taking a look at where the movie was, he stood watching for a few minutes but when Hyungwon didn't come back he followed, sipping his drink along the way.

The wooden hallway lead to a space bigger than the room the rest of them were in, there was a single black couch, a stereo on the table at the far side of the room, and a pool table to the side across the bookcase. Hyungwon sat in the middle of it all, reading the script.

"You don't want to watch the movie?" Minhyuk called his attention, making his way to Hyungwon setting his drink on the pool table. "And why don't you sit on the couch?"

"I could still hear the movie when I'm on the couch, and I've seen it already."

"You don't like it?" Hyungwon got the hint when Minhyuk held his hand out and gave the script to the blond before leaning back on his two hands.

"I like it, I just thought I would read over the script a few times since I won't be missing anything." Minhyuk read over the page and flipped to the end to see what would happen.

"Well technically," he set the script to the side instead of giving it back to Hyungwon then moved himself to sit in front of the black haired male. "You're missing quality time with your fellow actors."

"We won't even be talking so it's not like I would learn anything about them." Hyungwon reached for the script but Minhyuk moved it around so it was behind his back.

"Nuh-uh, Kihyun planned this party so we could all have fun and last time I checked, reading the script wasn't exactly something I thought of as fun."

"Our definitions of fun must be very different then." Hyungwon moved forward to grab behind Minhyuk's back but he still couldn't reach the script. Wanting to avoid awkward contact, he sighed and gave up, running his hand through his hair.

"Why don't you want to go out there?" Hyungwon avoided Minhyuk's eyes and thought of a response.

"I told you, I already watched the movie. I don't really see the need in watching it again." He shrugged but Minhyuk didn't buy it. A few moments of silence and analyzation Minhyuk came up with a simple question.

"Who?" the single word brought heat to Hyungwon's cheeks in panic but it only faintly showed, Minhyuk still caught it.

"Who what?" He asked back for specification.

"You know what I'm asking." Minhyuk forced their eyes to meet and Hyungwon physically slouched, giving into the imaginary push.

"Kihyun."

-

"Cut!" Hyungwon breathed a sigh of relief, he was about to laugh again. Moving away from 'Bin', he smiled and got off the couch, holding his hand out to help the other.

"The cameras have stopped rolling, you don't have to act like my boyfriend anymore." Despite what he said, Wonwoo still took the hand and stood.

"I know, but it's just fun. The relationship we have is cute, I wonder why our characters ruined it."

"I know, he's a brat, I would never date someone like him in real life. I wouldn't date my character either." Wonwoo shoved him lightly before Jun intervened.

"Hey best friend," He spoke to Hyungwon, getting between the two.

"Hey, you seem very eager to take Bin off my hands, Jerry." Hyungwon snickered when Jun sighed after hearing his character's name.

"You're lucky this is your first film here and you don't get a different name. You know how much I've been teased?"

"Aw poor Jerry, I'm sure Bin loves it, or well, he would love it. In the future you know." Wonwoo gave Jun a pat on the shoulder to cheer him up but Jun pushed both of them.

"Why do I have to end up with you and why do I need to be best friends with you?" Jun whined and it caused both Hyungwon and Wonwoo to laugh.

They had finished filming the fifth episode, it was a continuation of their backstory. So far they had met each other, Bin had heard the rumors about Hyungwon but never thought anything, thinking there had to be a soft side to the school's heartbreak. Hyungwon, as his character, had thought it was interesting and allowed the courting. Tomorrow Bin would have to film the part where he starts to get warned by Changkyun's character while Hyungwon would be filming a scene with Jun where Jerry would ask his character why he was still acting like that.

"You know, the whole thing is really interesting, that my character is the one getting hurt but Bin's the main character so everyone would be on his side." He voiced to Soonyoung as they monitored the scene they just filmed.

"We're not a company that does the expected. Your character won't be doing anything to clear the rumors or protect against the hate jealous girls are giving him for thinking he could change you. A person can only take so much."

"It doesn't mean my character didn't like him, he still gets hurt, he thought Bin would be the one." He watched himself smile with Wonwoo on screen, acting like a sweet couple, Bin being able to see Hyungwon behind the rumors.

"Like Jerry says, 'You can't expect someone to stay if you don't try to keep them.'"

"You memorized the script?"

"Of course, I have to, so I could get the mood and everything. You seem really put off with the idea your character is just disregarded like that, is something wrong?" He tilted his head to the side in sincerity but Hyungwon held his tongue.

"No, I've never done something like this, that's it."

"Okay, but if you ever have a problem with anything there's always someone to help." Hyungwon nodded and waited till Soonyoung turned his back to walk off. Just as he turned around, Minhyuk moved back from peering over his shoulder.

"You're going to give me a heart attack if you keep popping up everywhere." Taking his hand away from his chest and letting it drop to his side, he let a breath out and looked to Minhyuk, wondering what he wanted.

"What? Is there something on my face?" He touched his cheek in question but Hyungwon just rolled his eyes.

"What do you want?" Hyungwon almost hissed when Minhyuk continued to follow him outside towards his car.

"Am I not allowed to talk to you now?" His tone was suddenly worried and Hyungwon tried to calm himself down.

"You can..." He wiped his face with his hands and stopped in his tracks.

"I won't tell anyone and I haven't told anyone if that's what bothering you." Hyungwon looked to the side, thinking about whether he should trust Minhyuk or not. He reminded himself that he's done it before, but then remembered it was just a simple ride home.

"I had a feeling you wouldn't but..." He ran his hand through his hair and closed his eyes, "I'm freaked out now that someone else knows."

"I'll be the last one to know but will I ever know why?" He emphasized his question but Hyungwon shook his head, looking in the distance at the car where his manager and chauffeur were waiting. He took a deep breath, almost being able to feel Kihyun's grin from behind the tinted glass.

"No, I wasn't planning on telling you in the first place." He made his way towards the car, holding a hand up in a wave to Minhyuk from the back.

"Did something happen? You've been in a bad mood all day and even your new crush couldn't get you in a better mood. Are you sleeping right? Eating right? Cleaning right?" Kihyun put a hand to his forehead and he closed his eyes, the hand felt cold against his forehead but he didn't feel sick.

"You're hot," Kihyun's alarming voice caught the driver's attention and he turned the car in the direction of the drug store.

"I'm fine Gyo, I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night, and the day before was the party so I just need to rest today. I promise I'll be all better tomorrow."

Nevertheless, Kihyun and Gyo stopped by the nearest drug store to get a fever reducer as he fell asleep. He found the bottle in his pocket, or well, he knew it was there when it fell out. Taking one since he knew it was what they wanted, he quickly got ready for bed then collapsed on the plush mattress.

Gathering all the pillows he could, he surrounded himself with the soft fabric and his own body warmth heating up the sheets. He tried to organize his thoughts, already knowing he wouldn't be able to get rid of them. Suddenly the heat from his covers became unbearable and he flipped over to the right side of his bed, on his back. He stared up at the ceiling, arm on his forehead and hand on his stomach. He felt a little hungry and he should have eaten something before taking the pill but as of right now he didn't really care and he was too tired to get up and find something to eat.

He knew he was overreacting on the fact Minhyuk knew and the fact Minhyuk could tell and the fact Minhyuk was acting like it wasn't that big of a deal and the fact Minhyuk could be lying about keeping it a secret. Minhyuk seemed like a nice guy, and Hyungwon knew that he shouldn't be freaking out about it but he can't help but do just that.

-

"Wow, that's hard." Minhyuk leaned back on his arms, looking up at the ceiling, his reaction a lot calmer than Hyungwon thought it would be. "How long?"

"Ever," Hyungwon responded curtly. He stood and walked over to get the script from behind Minhyuk's back, the blond didn't have the heart to tease him after seeing his expression. Hyungwon had moved to the couch and began to read the script again, blocking Minhyuk and the rest of the world out. When he looked up again Minhyuk had left the room and it caused a tremor of panic to flood through him.

Checking the living room, he saw that the movie had reached the end and they were watching the credits roll by, making sure there wouldn't be any scenes that would play at the end. He waited by the light switch to turn them on at the right time. Everyone groaned at the sudden change in the lighting and others stretched.

He saw that Jihoon was asleep on the smaller couch, curled up into a ball, while Seungcheol and Soonyoung sat on the floor in front of it. Jun had his arm around Minghao, Hyungwon wondered how well they knew each other, Jeonghan and Jisoo were in the kitchen, getting a drink, Jooheon, Changkyun, Mingyu, and Wonwoo were the closest to the T.V, battling each other on who could find the octopus the fastest. Not wanting to disturb the snuggling couple on the couch, he joined Jeonghan and Jisoo.

"Do you guys know where Minhyuk went?"

"Yeah, he left a while ago, something about being tired and already seeing the movie." Jisoo shrugged, looking apologetic for the lack of information.

Hyungwon spotted the box Minhyuk had brought in earlier. "He forgot his game, can any of you take it to him?"

"Yeah, we live in the same building, I'll take it for you." Jeonghan held his hand out and Hyungwon thanked him before bidding them goodbye and night, explaining he was going to take his leave as well.

"Kihyun I'm leaving," he announced as he passed the longer couch.

"Oh, okay let me walk you down." He detangled himself from Shownu and pulled his coat over his body, telling everyone he would be back soon.

"Did you see Minhyuk leave?" Hyungwon's fingers twitched from underneath the sleeves.

"Yeah, it was weird, I thought he would stay longer. I mean, you invited him I thought you would entertain him."

"I was studying the script, I thought you wanted me to get the part." The words came out a little harsher than he had intended and he quickly apologized for his behavior.

"I do want you to get the part but I also care about your health. Speaking about that, are you okay? You've been looking worse and worse every day."

"I'm fine. Did Minhyuk tell you anything?" His fists were clenched and he thanked whoever came up with sweater paws.

"No? Is there something I should know?" His tone was slightly suggestive but Hyungwon was too worried to roll his eyes.

"Oh, nothing," Hyungwon dismissed, "He just left something and I thought he was going to tell you to play it. I gave it to Jeonghan."

"Oh, are you sure there isn't something else? You still seem bothered."

'Did he tell you I'm in love with you?' he screamed in his head.

"Just tired."


	3. Resting on Rewrite

Sure enough, Hyungwon got sick, he was forced to stay in bed the whole day by Kihyun.

"Kihyun, I'm fine I could still go." He sat up and ignored the dizziness the best he could. "See? No big deal." He fought the urge to close his eyes and now that he was out of the sheets he was a little cold.

"They'll be fine without you, the only scene you have to shoot is the one with Jun. If you rest all day you'll be good for tomorrow now take this." Kihyun had been walking around the room the whole time he's been there. He was picking up Hyungwon's clothes and putting them in the laundry basket, tidying up his drawers and closet, and he even changed the trash. Now he was handing the younger a glass of water. 

"Exactly." Hyungwon was giving into his sickness and let his eyes droop slightly but continued to watch Kihyun move around, finding it amusing he was wearing the white face mask dentists used. "I only have to film a short thing so it would be fine if I just go then leave right after and rest." He cursed himself when he couldn't even muster enough energy to take the glass from the elder.

"Hyungwon I am not letting you walk out of this house in that state of health. You have a fever and you haven't been eating or sleeping properly and there is nothing that would -" right then Kihyun's phone went off and Hyungwon couldn't hold in a small, bitter laugh.

The extra energy sent him back onto the bed and he was still chuckling slightly as Kihyun took the call. Of course, he had to go somewhere, it was expected of a high-end manager and agent. He didn't bother listening to the conversation but here and there he heard Kihyun agreeing and disagreeing with things. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

-

He looked up to see Kihyun's eyes closed and chest rising and falling with every breath he took in and released. Hyungwon brought himself closer to the other and buried his face in the other's chest. Although he was the taller one, Kihyun's embrace was comforting and warm. When he brought his arms around Kihyun's torso he found fingers making their way into his hair and he couldn't contain his smile any longer.

The sudden tight hold and movement stirred Kihyun from his sleep but he didn't entirely wake up, with his eyes closed he pat Hyungwon's head. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, thanks." Hyungwon hugged Kihyun tighter, afraid he would leave.

"Hey calm down, you're going to suffocate me." He didn't really struggle but the whine was enough to get Hyungwon to loosen his hold. There was a phone ringing in the background and Hyungwon tightened his hold in reflex, wanting the moment to last a little longer.

"Hyungwon," Even though Kihyun sounded like he needed to get out of bed, his eyes were still closed and he was still cradling the back of Hyungwon's neck. He played with the hair in his hands for a while before sighing and trying to get up.

"C'mon Hyungwon, up." He cracked an eye open to look at the other. Hyungwon was pouting and it put a tired smile on Kihyun's face as he mustered enough energy to move his hand down to stroke Hyungwon's cheek. "Let's get up-" The phone went off in the distance again and Kihyun was actually able to roll away this time. Hyungwon let out a whine but cut it short to listen to Kihyun's laugh.

Rolling all the way to the other side of the bed, he watched Kihyun answer his phone. He was still smiling at Hyungwon as he brought the device to his ears but when he heard the voice on the other line his expression became sullen. He was still looking at Hyungwon and he tried to smile but it faltered with every word coming from the speaker.

Hyungwon tried to hear what the other person was saying but he couldn't understand. Kihyun began to bite his lip before wincing at the last statement. Taking the phone away from his ear moved back towards the bed and brought Hyungwon into his arms again, burying his face in the taller's chest.

"Hyungwon."

"Yes, Kihyun? Are you okay?"

"Hyungwon," Kihyun repeated.

"Kihyun, I'm right here, you can let it out."

"Hyungwon, Hyungwon, Hyungwon."

-

"Hyungwon!" His mind was finally back to reality, realizing what had just happened, he groaned in response to Kihyun's call. "Hyungwon wake up." He felt a tapping on his shoulder.

"I'm awake," he announced so Kihyun would stop moving his body. With his nose feeling incredibly stuffy he took a sharp breath in and ended up coughing into the sheets. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"A few minutes, I just finished talking to Jihoon and he said it would be fine for you to miss a day but I have to go there to talk about some stuff, is it okay if I go?"

Hyungwon nodded into the pillow, pulling his hand out from underneath his body weight to swat Kihyun away as if he were a fly.

"Are you sure?" Hyungwon gave a single thumbs up to answer the question and felt himself falling back to sleep. Before he felt like nothing to the world, there were two arms that dug underneath him in a hug and a nuzzle to the back of his neck. "I'll come back as soon as I can. Make sure you eat, I'll be texting you."

Hyungwon didn't reply, there was no way he was going back to sleep anytime soon but he hoped Kihyun bought into his sleeping act. He heard the door close and he waited a few minutes before opening his eyes again. Pushing himself up he inhaled again before rubbing his eyes.

There was a buzz from the countertop, making him crawl over and check. Kihyun just walked out the door, did he forget something? Sitting in silence for a while, the reason as to why he was sitting up had slipped his mind. He finally remembered and tapped on his screen twice to light it up.

The message was from an unknown number, asking him if he's doing okay.

He replied with a short yes then questioned who it was before embracing his blankets and pillow again.

He woke up an hour later from the uncomfortable feeling of sweating yet being too cold to take the blankets off. He checked his phone and saw twenty unread messages.

He was surprised to see only five of them were from Kihyun, the rest were from the unknown number, which he could now identify as Minhyuk.

'How sick are you?

Kihyun's here, they're having a meeting.

Dang, it's boring, I can't bother you if you aren't here.

Are you ignoring me still?

I promised I wouldn't tell Kihyun.

I promise I really won't.

I hope you're really just sleeping.

Oh, this is Minhyuk by the way.

This is Hyungwon, right?

Chae Hyungwon?

The actor?

If this is the wrong number I'm sorry.

Nice to meet you, though.

Hyungwon if you're messing with me...

Answer whenever you see this."

He sent back a short message, "You have the right number, it's Hyungwon. I was sleeping." He looked back to his pillows and thought about going back to sleep but his phone got a call, the vibration made him groan and he felt a headache coming on.

"Hello?" He answered groggily.

"Have you eaten yet?" Kihyun's voice came from the other side of the line. Hyungwon sniffled.

"No, I was about to." He wiped his nose with the back of his hand before becoming disgusted with the feeling so he got up to move towards the bathroom.

"Liar."

"I really was!" halfway through the sentence Hyungwon's voice failed him and he cleared his throat with a coughing fit "Okay I was thinking about it."

"Go eat, I'll swing by after, don't forget to take medicine either, it's on the island."

Hyungwon replied with another cough and intake of breath before hanging up.

-

"Feeling better?" Wonwoo asked him when Hyungwon walked in the next day.

"Honestly?" Wonwoo nodded. "No," Hyungwon deadpanned. He was still pretty sick, the only reason Kihyun let him come is because he didn't have a fever.

"You know you don't have to come, we're doing fine and there are still more scenes to film." Wonwoo sat him down and Hyungwon struggled against the comfort, he didn't want anyone to worry about him especially not Kihyun. Stealing a glance at his manager, he saw him talking to Jihoon, probably telling him that Hyungwon was still feeling sick.

He turned back to Wonwoo, who was looking at him with worried eyes.

"I'm fine, I promised Kihyun that I would leave right after I filmed. Is Mingyu here already?" He pulled out a tissue and blew into it.

"Yeah, he's back there." He pointed in the direction of the dressing room and Hyungwon made his way over.

Upon watching the door open and seeing the condition Hyungwon was in, he gasped.

"I'm fine!" Hyungwon said immediately, waving his hand and plopping himself down on the chair, closing his eyes in the process.

"You are not fine," Mingyu emphasized the negative word which made Hyungwon crack an eye open to look at him.

"I'll be fine, trust me. Once you put a little make-up and," he cleared his throat, "I talk like this, then no one would even know." His voice had lost the sick sound, the way he ended his sentences sounded a bit in the nose but it was nothing too bad.

"Hyungwon, are you sure you're fine?" Mingyu was holding the gel and hairdryer in his hands, same worried expression Wonwoo gave him before.

"One hundred percent. The faster you get it done, the quicker I can go home, just so you know."

"Wait aren't you going to wear a mask so you don't get sick?"

"I haven't gotten sick since the fifth grade, my immune system is stronger than you think, plus there are other people here that can do makeup and hair, Jisoo is one of them, he just prefers to help with lighting. I dunno about Wonwoo though, his immune system is iffy."

"I don't think I'm filming a scene with him today." Hyungwon wriggled his nose out if irritation from the hot blowing hair. He pulled his shirt up to cover the lower half of his face. "I think I'm filming the scene where Jerry tries to knock some sense into me about what's going on between Bin and my character."

"Oh, that one? So you're almost done here?"

"Just this last scene then I'm out of here and passing the torch to Jerry." He laughed at Jun's stage name.

"You're going to film your last scene when you're sick? That's the worst way to leave!" Mingyu protested the argument caused his hands to tug a little too harshly on Hyungwon's hair.

Taking his face out of the wince he dismissed both Mingyu's statement and look of apology, "It's fine, knowing Kihyun, he'd probably bring me back here to star in the next film. He loves it here so it won't be the last time you'll see me, don't worry. I was only supposed to film five episodes anyway."

"Oh yeah." Mingyu washed his hands in the sink and Hyungwon admired the way his hair was put up, he'd miss having Mingyu do it. He closed his eyes as Mingyu began to do his make up, finally moving his shirt down from his nose. "Still, a pretty sucky way to say goodbye to everyone."

"Kihyun will still invite you all to parties, he likes throwing them. He doesn't really like to break connections-" the end of his sentence came out a little funny as he felt a pain in his nose. His eyes began to water and he quickly turned to the side before sneezing into his elbow.

"Bless you." Two voices said at the same time, Hyungwon took the Kleenex out of his pocket and wiped the snot away, making a disgusted face at his own actions.

"Thank you."

"You look like you're about to die." Minhyuk's voice reached his ears, Hyungwon had always been silently wondering when the blond would show up.

"I'll die after I shoot this scene, don't worry," Hyungwon smirked then closed his eyes again so Mingyu could continue his make-up.

"Huh, I can't believe you even came in that condition."

"It's a small scene, nothing too big. I'll be able to handle it."

"Jihoon wouldn't like it if he saw you like this, he would send you home."

Minhyuk sat in the second chair next to Hyungwon and met his eyes in the single mirror. "That's the whole reason I'm wearing make-up." Mingyu's body broke their eye contact and Minhyuk watched the young tall one apply foundation and the rest of Hyungwon's face. When Mingyu was done with his work the only thing that gave Hyungwon away was his sniffling. The bags from being fatigued were concealed and he was forcing himself to keep his eyes open.

Minhyuk wanted to tell Hyungwon that he should call it off and just rest a little more but Mingyu already did all the work and Hyungwon was already here. A knock on the door confused him but he understood when Hyunwoo was the one making his way in. Minhyuk checked Hyungwon's expression but nothing had changed like he expected it to.

"Hyungwon, Kihyun's looking for you," he greeted the others in the room with a small nod and smiled nervously when Minhyuk waved to him.

"Are we going to start filming soon?" Hyungwon pushed himself off the chair, holding the side of his head while black took over his vision for a moment. There was a hand on his arm that steadied him and he saw Minhyuk's worried face, he's seen it on everyone today and he was getting a little tired of it.

He mentally blamed the irritation on his sickness and shook his head, moving his arm out of Minhyuk's hold but the sudden feeling of falling backward was strong and he realized just how much he needed that support. On instinct he stepped back and hit Minhyuk's chest and to make things worse he felt a sneeze coming on. He leaned forward in the urge but before the action came the feeling spread into a stinging in the back of his eyes.

"Are you going to be able to film?" Three voices asked at once, pushing his upper body away from his knees he began to nod but he ended up crouching over and stuffing his face into his elbow to cough.

"You still need to change, are you sure you'll be able to film the scene without breaking into a coughing fit or something?" Mingyu patted his back to help him out.

"Yeah," he coughed out, "could you," he coughed, "get me," another cough "A cough," two coughs, "drop?" His eyes were watering and he thought about the make-up, feeling bad for the work Mingyu did.

"Uhh, I don't have any-"

"Here." Minhyuk held out a few paper-wrapped, minty candies in front of Hyungwon's face so he could see them. Hyungwon unraveled one while he held the rest of his coughs and once his throat was soothed enough to make out a sentence he reassured them.

"I'll be able to do it, I just need the rest of the cough drops, thanks." He gave Minhyuk a weak smile for helping him then checked his reflection in the mirror to make sure he didn't mess up the foundation under his eyes.

Hyungwon didn't take very long to change into his character's clothes. The outfit seemed like something he would wear out on a regular day, he would have to ask Seungcheol if he could keep it. He was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt over black skinny jeans.

When the director called action his character was to be hanging out with Jerry, they were playing a video game when Jerry suddenly brought up Bin, asking what happened between them.

"Nothing, he's just like everyone else. He couldn't take the comments." Hyungwon pressed some of the buttons as if he were actually playing the game. He fought the urge to clear his sinus and did his best to make his voice seem normal.

"Did you even try to help him? I thought you really liked him." Jerry reached for the popcorn but quickly brought his hand back to the controller so Hyungwon wouldn't gain an advantage in anything.

"If he really liked me, he would know that those words weren't true. I told him they weren't. If he doesn't trust me then I don't think he likes me as much as you thought he did, as much as I did." He made sure to say the last part under his breath and covered it with a cough.

Hyungwon was thankful that none of the bosses called cut on his slight improvising.

"Did you try to shoo any of them off?" Jerry said the sentence in a suggestive matter then continued to sound suggestively accusing after Hyungwon shrugged. "You can't expect someone to stay if you don't try to keep them." He stole a glance in Hyungwon's direction but instead of the reaction he was hoping for Hyungwon just shrugged again, continuing to play the game like the sentence hadn't reached his ears.

"Cut! That's a wrap!" Jihoon's voice made both Hyungwon and Jun jump in their spots. Hyungwon immediately relieved the strain on his throat by letting the cough out, making sure he stood up and walked away from Jun to avoid infection.

He reached into his pocket for another cough drop before heading over to the camera for the last of his directions before he was done for the while.

"Great job Hyungwon, I really appreciate you coming when you're sick. The scene was perfect and I don't think we need to shoot another take. You should rest as much as you can. We're holding a company meeting and it's mandatory. I would like for you to feel well for it as you will be answering a few questions."

"Thank you, am I free to leave? I'm sorry if I seem- " he coughed and the cough drop almost fell out of his mouth, he sucked on the hard candy to soothe his sore throat but it still took a while. Jihoon had already guessed what he was going to say and nodded.

Being unable to walk without crouching over in a cough, Hyunwoo and Kihyun were at his sides, leading him to where their driver was. Once they got in the car Hyungwon closed his eyes and leaned against the window, the cold contrasted against his feverish forehead.

"You're never allowed to work when you're sick ever again." Kihyun's tone was that of a mother scolding her child but Hyungwon knew it was just him being worried.

"Okay, mom. It was the last scene I had to film. I don't think I'll be up and about for a while anyway. When's the meeting?"

"Tuesday." Kihyun was on his phone and Hyungwon guessed he was either contacting Jihoon in apology or marking his calendar.

"I'll be fine by then."

-

He was better than he was before but he wouldn't say he was completely fine. He didn't have a runny nose, nor did he sound congested but at a specific time during the day he would have a coughing fit which would lead to him losing his voice. It was just his luck that the important dinner had been scheduled to start around that time.

During the whole day, Kihyun wouldn't let him talk. Whenever he opened his mouth his manager would shush him and motion towards his phone then joked about how he could become a faster at typing by the end of the day.

Sadly, Kihyun couldn't control the coughs and even though Hyungwon took a cough drop at the first sign of the urge they still happened. He could keep in the force half the time but when they got to the restaurant his voice was gone again.

"You can just nod, I'm sure most of their questions can be answered by either a yes or a no." Kihyun repeatedly connected his hand to Hyungwon's back to stop Hyungwon's current coughing fit.

"Still not feeling better? Are you going o be okay?" Jooheon happened to arrive at the same time and held the door open for them.

"Thank you, but it's just my voice and a small cough once and a while. I can answer questions but it'll sound like this." The low growl of his voice made Jooheon clear his throat.

"You have to tell Jihoon," Kihyun was using his mother voice again and Hyungwon cut him off, knowing where the lecture would go.

"Yeah, I'll tell him. This was mandatory, though, right?" Kihyun had let go on his hold on Hyungwon once the taller was walking properly.

"Well, it is mandatory but if Hyungwon needed another day off to fully cure himself Jihoon would have just called or texted you to ask the questions for him or have Hyungwon answer the questions online," Jooheon stated from the side of the two, looking at the cautiously.

"I'm here already, might as well just get it over with." He caught Soonyoung's eyes from across the room and smiled before making his way over to the table.

He's been to the restaurant a few times, it was a bit fancier than he was comfortable with. He's gone here on Kihyun's insistent begging when they were signed to their first show. There were low hanging lights that threatened to hit Hyungwon's head and booths with a wide walkway for the several waiters and waitresses. The tables were found in separate rooms near the back, where Hyungwon was heading.

"Sorry if we're late," Hyungwon waved his hand at the others he's spent the past month and a half with.

"You're still sick?" Jihoon's voice was weary and he gave Hyungwon a look but he shook his head.

"No, it's just my voice. I'm fine really." He held up his hands as if he were surrendering under Jihoon's sharp gaze.

"Here's a menu, order whatever you want, food's on me," Seungcheol smiled with sincerity, Hyungwon noticed that all of them still had their menus and trusted they really haven't waited that long.

He looked around the table, to his left was Kihyun, who was also sitting next to Changkyun. Changkyun sat across from Jeonghan who was talking to Seungcheol on his left. To the left of Seungcheol and in front of Hyungwon, Jihoon was turned towards Soonyoung on his other side. Wonwoo and Jun were talking across the table from the other end and Jooheon on Hyungwon's right side.

"Okay everyone is here, why don't we order first? That would be better right?" Soonyoung looked at the collective nods. "Does everyone know what they're ordering?" There was another round of nods and Soonyoung pressed the button to call for a server.

Hyungwon wondered what it would have been like if he was a waiter instead of an actor. Surely writing down orders would be a hassle but he was pretty good at memorization and he felt like he would be better at getting around if he didn't have someone drive him everywhere. The menus were taken and all attention was immediately drawn towards Jihoon.

"Well first off, I would like to congratulate all of you, the show has gotten a lot of hits and compliments from the top boss. It was trending on social media just a few days ago and it remains in the top three as of right now, last time I checked." He clapped his hands which caused everyone else to follow.

After the claps died down he continued saying, "I'm proud of the process too, you all know the interns they've worked hard but they weren't able to come because it would just be too much to buy for everyone working. We'll celebrate with them another day. Since they aren't here, are there any complaints on any of them?" Jihoon brought out his phone and Hyungwon was reminded of Kihyun.

Hyungwon thought of all the interns he encountered while he was there. He never really spoke to any of them besides Mingyu, unless Jisoo was an intern. He shook his head, all the interns were nice and well mannered, whenever they bumped into each other it was more of Hyungwon getting into their way instead of the other way around.

"That's good if you ever have any complaints about the interns you should always inform us. They don't get paid for nothing."

"Jihoon, interns don't get paid" Seungcheol commented from the side, bringing laughter and a smile to Jihoon's face.

"You know what I mean," Jihoon rolled his eyes and shoved Seungcheol slightly. "Anyway, tell us if you have any problems with an intern and we'll console them. Moving on-oh" He quickly put his phone away when he saw the waiters coming down the hall with a cart holding all their dishes.

All of them thanked the waiter as they set the plates down before they began to dig in. The table was quiet of conversation, all of them trying out the food they ordered.

"Hyungwon," Jihoon called once everyone slowed their bites. Hyungwon moved his spoon farther from his face and looked across the table.

He swallowed before answering, "Yes?" Jihoon immediately apologized but Hyungwon shook his head. "It's fine, did you need to tell me something?"

"How do you feel about staying in the show as one of the main characters?" If Hyungwon had taken that bite or drunken any water he would have choked.

"Wait as in like... More episodes to film?" He looked to Kihyun. His manager was smiling at him with an understanding face. Hyungwon knew that the choice was completely up to him, he was the actor, but he also knew that it would be better for both him and Kihyun if he continued to act in the show.

Like Jihoon said before, the show was trending at three as of right now.

"Are you okay with that? You don't have to. You signed a contract for five episodes and you've already filmed a little more than that so it would be understandable if you were to decline but," Jihoon rambled and Hyungwon was thinking about cutting him off but he never thought of what to say till after he stopped talking.

"Why do you want to keep me on the show?"

"Predictability," Soonyoung spoke so Jihoon could catch his breath. "Our shows are known for doing the unexpected which eventually leads to people trying to guess which unexpected thing we're doing. There are times when the unexpected becomes the expected and that's when we decide to change the script."

"It's a tough process to go through and there is a lot of stress because the script could only continue to change," Seungcheol continued to explain, "but the reviews are worth it in our opinion. Since there is a lot of stress you'd have to sign up for another contract that covers a longer amount of time and work. We could never force you, though."

When Seungcheol finished he took a bite of his food and Hyungwon remembered where they were. He looked down at his own meal, two Broccoli and Cheese Manicotti, one-half already eaten, they were probably still warm he took a bite before looking around at the rest of the table.

All of them were chewing while expecting him to answer. He looked to Kihyun again, the same pleading look he always got was there and it was like the answer was obvious.

"Can I have a minute?" He looked to Jihoon apologetically. The writer nodded and Hyungwon stood, pulling Kihyun with him.

"What? You don't want to do it? It would be great for you Hyungwon!" Kihyun exclaimed once they were out of earshot.

"Kihyun, I'd be able to get a lot more other jobs right? Do we really have to stick with this company?" He looked back in the room, everyone was continuing a conversation like the two were never there.

"Hyungwon," Kihyun's tone could have been taken as a warning or comfort.

Hyungwon sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "Can't they just get someone else to play my part? They have a lot of interns and I'm sure that someone else would be willing."

"You've already been in the show and obviously, the viewers want you. They would notice if it were a different actor, people notice the difference in stunt doubles."

"They changed the guy in Blue's Clues." He looked at the other room again and caught Jooheon turning back around.

"No one liked the second guy, c'mon Hyungwon, why don't you want to do this?" Hyungwon thought it over. When the amount of time he stared became too long Kihyun raised his eyebrows. There was a ring from Kihyun's pocket. Something changed in his eyes and Hyungwon sighed, looking down.

"I just don't want to let anyone down, I got sick really easily and I feel like Jihoon would be really stressed if and when I get sick again." He shrugged his shoulder and looked at everything around his manager before looking into Kihyun's eyes.

"You'll do fine, the last cut was amazing, we'll just make sure you eat more healthy foods and stay away from anything that'll get you sick." Kihyun was beginning to smile again, whenever Hyungwon blamed himself he was bound to agree.

Looking into Kihyun's eyes for a bit longer he finally ducked his head and nodded. He didn't even see Kihyun's reaction but he knew what it was, he's seen it a thousand times before.

The smile and relief on Jihoon's face after he agreed dismissed the anxious atmosphere and put everyone in a better, more relaxed mood.

"Thank you!" Kihyun smiled, already on his phone telling Hyunwoo. When he put his phone down again he hugged Hyungwon with one arm and leaned his head on Hyungwon's shoulder. In return, Hyungwon leaned his head on top of Kihyun's to let him know he was welcome.

"Nice, I was hoping we wouldn't have to pull a Blue's Clues." Jooheon nudged his shoulder and Hyungwon smiled back, nodding along despite what he said earlier.

His Manicotti was cold and everyone had almost finished their meals so he took one more bite before going on his phone for the rest of the time. Kihyun was on his phone as well, his food a little more done-looking than his.

Their waiter had come back and they all stood to clear out of the place but before Hyungwon left Seungcheol called for him.

"You can go ahead," he told Kihyun and tilted his head towards the exit. Kihyun made sure it was okay before he left.

"When's the next time you'll be free? When your voice isn't like that." Seungcheol leaned in like he was sharing some sort of secret.

"It only happens at night, during the day my voice is normal."

"Oh, okay so are you free tomorrow at ten?"

"I'd have to ask Kihyun, why?"

"If you wanted, you could be there to help us cast the person that would play your next love interest."

"Oh, I get to help out with that?" He pointed to himself and Seungcheol laughed with a nod.

"We don't want you to hate the person you're acting with, it would be too problematic and we've experienced working with people we don't want to work with before." Hyungwon tilted his head up for a long time in acknowledgment.

"That makes sense. I'm pretty sure we're free tomorrow, I'll ask Kihyun and tell him to contact you guys." He bid them goodbye before getting into the car and repeating the information Seungcheol shared with him.

"Hyunwoo and I have a date tomorrow, it's our anniversary..." Hyungwon closed his eyes in embarrassment for forgetting.

"I think you could still go, do you want me to ask? They wouldn't need me there, would they? You know your preferences."

"I don't know, are you asking them right now?" He peered over Kihyun's shoulder to read the screen but the letters were too small to make sense.

"Yeah, they said you could go alone, do you want me there?" Kihyun looked at him with concern and even though Hyungwon wanted to say yes, he would feel horrible if he ripped a couple apart on their anniversary. Instead of vocally answering, Hyungwon bit his lip and shook his head, moving his gaze towards the world outside his window.

The next morning he had congratulated the couple over the phone, smiling to himself when they sounded overly happy. He only hung up when he got a text, he thanked Minhyuk for his good timing, he was trying to figure out how to end the conversation five minutes before. Kihyun had been going on about what Hyunwoo had already done. In Kihyun's words he, "Made breakfast even though he doesn't really know how to cook, it didn't taste amazing but it was sweet and I was able to eat it all isn't he great Hyungwon?" Of course being the best friend of the two he agreed.

'You coming to the auditions to choose your new costar?' The text read. Hyungwon frowned a little, he still hadn't saved Minhyuk's number and he was suddenly really grateful that he never deletes any of his messages. He saved the contact to his phone then texted back a confirmation.

'Great, I'm going too! See you there!' Hyungwon wondered why Minhyuk was going but it was probably because he helps Soonyoung with the mood.

When he arrived at the audition venue he remembered Kihyun's face as he walked out of the room. He's never been in this role before, someone that's observing another person's acting and seeing if they could make the part or not.

The same escort from his first day there had brought him to the room next to the one he waited in before he auditioned and wondered how the people in the other room must feel. 

"Okay, so all you have to do is read the script with the other person, if you feel like they would make a great partner in the film then you should tell us after they leave the room," Soonyoung was explaining right as Hyungwon entered and Hyungwon nodded along, trying to scan the room for Minhyuk, there wasn't a sign of him. "Great! Here's a paper so you don't have to get up and tell us every time." Soonyoung gave him a small stack of papers stapled together then walked out of the room.

Hyungwon was left alone with Jihoon and Seungcheol who were both sitting at a long table covered with a blue cloth. Jihoon was on his phone and Seungcheol was looking at a list with lots of names on it. Underneath that paper was a bunch of pictures and Hyungwon made an educated guess that they were the people auditioning.

He made his way to the end of the table, next to Seungcheol, and quietly read over the script. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he quietly apologized before silencing it.

'Where are you?' It was a text from Minhyuk and Hyungwon felt like he should be the one asking the question.

'I'm in the room with Jihoon and Seungcheol. I think Soonyoung just walked out to get the first person.' He double checked the silence on his phone before setting it back down on the table.

The door opened again and Hyungwon wondered how he didn't predict that the happen. He quickly checked his phone, it had lit up earlier but he ignored it because he had assumed it was just Minhyuk sending a filler message.

'Great! I hope I'm good enough for you to choose me!'


	4. Emotions

Hyungwon bit the inside of his lip and watched as Jihoon and Seungcheol greeted the blond. He was wearing a white, belt-adjustable hat over his blond hair, a black shirt and matching black pants with a denim jacket. The two waved to each other for a small moment before Jihoon addressed Minhyuk.

"I was expecting you, you've been overly active in the production so far." Jihoon leaned back in his chair and spun the pen around in his hand. Seungcheol opted to lean forward and give a small briefing.

"There's still a really good chance you won't get the part. You won't go all crazy on us if we don't give it to you, right?"

"Do I really look like someone that would do that?" Minhyuk had rolled up the script and touched one end of the tube to his chest. Seungcheol moved his palms so they were facing the ceiling in a shrug.

"We never know, it's happened before."

"Hyungwon are you ready?" Soonyoung asked. All four of the other people in the room were looking at him and waiting for his answer.

"Yeah?" He felt a little lost, he didn't know why they needed his consent.

"Minhyuk, you know the drill. This time, you won't be speaking to us, you'll be speaking with Hyungwon." The two nodded at each other before Minhyuk unrolled his papers and cleared his throat.

"I'll be performing Act 23, scene 42." He waited for everyone to get to the page before clearing his throat again and getting himself into character.

Hyungwon briefly read over the scene. He had called Jerry a few minutes before to see if he wanted to hang out but Jerry said he was busy and it turns out they were both at the park. Hyungwon saw him with Bin but didn't reveal himself. He had walked to another park and that's when Minhyuk's character, Yujin, came in, seeing his broken expression, and tried to help him. After a long walk to the park, Yujin had figured out everything.

"Before you start, if you're doing that scene, Hyungwon, do you mind getting up just so I could get a feel for you two acting together?" Soonyoung interrupted.

"Can I use the chair?" He asked, feeling a little silly for doing so but he felt like it would help him too.

"Yeah, bring it over here." Jihoon encouraged the action with two fingers.

Once everything was set up they got into the mood again.

"You don't really look like someone that would just let that happen. I mean, you were hurt when you saw them together right?" Minhyuk was hunched over his knees, looking down at the script which replaced the part of the floor he was supposed to be looking at.

Hyungwon scoffed and shook his head, leaning back and pretending his face was basking in the sun. He felt Minhyuk lean back onto one of the arms he spread out. "Nah, if they want to be together then what's the point of me being there?" He broke his character to look at the script for his next line.

"That doesn't explain why you looked so broken. Was it the blond one or the black-haired one?"

"That's information I'm not exactly thrilled to share with someone I just met, vice-versa." Hyungwon scooted away from the stranger.

"I know you! Or well, I hear all the things about you. I don't know why everyone believes them, though." Hyungwon chuckled at the statement.

"I feel like I've heard this too many times before." He waved his hand in the air in mockery before standing, when Minhyuk did the same he put on an irritated facial expression. "Loo-" Hyungwon cut himself off, "What's your name?"

"Yujin."

"Yujin," Hyungwon pressed his hands together in a clap, folding the papers a little, "I'm fine, thank you for your concern, but really."

"But you aren't. You're in love with one of them and it hurts to see them together." Hyungwon's thoughts moved to Kihyun for a split second.

"How could you possibly know that?" Hyungwon looked at his script again, his heart rate picked up and he blamed it on the fact he couldn't find his place.

"Your eyes." Yujin raised his brows and took a step closer, Hyungwon took a step back in response.

"Fine, I'm upset. Not because it hurts to see them together, they're my friends I should be happy for them. I just hate being the third wheel, does that answer your question?" Hyungwon felt a sickening feeling in his stomach and he looked away from Yujin's eyes.

"No," he took another step forward and Hyungwon took another step back. "I asked which one you like and there's no way you would look that hurt just by being a third wheel. How are you dealing with it?"

"They wouldn't be happy with me so there's no point in trying to fight for them. Plus he's dating my best friend I'm not going to get between them."

"If they're your best friends then why are they dating each other when they know you have feelings for one of them?" Hyungwon was getting ready to fire back his next line but Jihoon's voice interrupted him.

"Cut!" The voice shook Hyungwon to the core and he let out a set of coughs into his elbow.

"That was amazing!" Soonyoung stood up in his chair and applauded the two, Minhyuk laughed as he gave a pat to Hyungwon's back. Jihoon nodded along with Soonyoung and Seungcheol gave a small thumbs up.

"Nice job Minhyuk. I'd say you have a good shot at getting the part but you're still only the first person. Please send the next." Minhyuk nodded at Jihoon's words and helped Hyungwon to his chair before leaving the room.

"Are you okay Hyungwon?" Seungcheol took Minhyuk's place in patting the tall actor's back.

"Yeah, do you have any water?" Hyungwon was tearing up at the pain in his throat and he gratefully accepted the bottle Seungcheol handed to him.

During the rest of the auditions Hyungwon spaced out, in the back of his mind he was hoping it wasn't noticeable but for the most part, he was thinking about that one particular scene and how Minhyuk portrayed the part.

He didn't remember Minhyuk looking at the script once after he leaned back and it felt like it wasn't just his character being spoken to. Whenever Minhyuk would ask him questions he thought of Kihyun. The paper in his left hand was the only thing that saved him from thinking the whole situation was real.

"I think we all already know who the next person is going to be," Soonyoung announced once the last person made it out of the door. Hyungwon had still been spacing out and stared at the three co-producers in wonder.

"Minhyuk!" Soonyoung practically squealed. Hyungwon blinked once and they took it as confusion.

"Well, first off he was a great actor, he seemed really into his role. Secondly, when you two were acting together it seemed so real, which means the viewers are going to think it's real."

"You guys look cute together too," Seungcheol added. Hyungwon rubbed the back of his head with a blush.

He would be working with Minhyuk. He felt like that would be better than trying to act with someone he's never spoken to before. They called his new costar back inside the room and dismissed all the other participants. Hyungwon tried his best to listen to the facts and agreements listed inside the new contract they both had to sign.

"I thought you said you only audition for the parts you found interesting or something like that," Hyungwon brought up when they left the room together. Hyungwon silently waved as Minhyuk greeted everyone they saw in the hallway.

"You think I don't find it interesting?"

"I didn't think you would want to play the part as my love interest..." Hyungwon ruffled the hair on the right side of his head. He mumbled the words loud enough for Minhyuk to hear but the other still requested him to repeat. "Nothing."

"Well, I did think it was interesting." Minhyuk leaned in closer as he spoke, making a point. Hyungwon noticed that they were already outside, the cold breeze blew against his cheeks and he told himself that was the reason he was blushing. "It reminded me of something so I felt like I should go for the part. I really wasn't expecting to get it, though."

"How may times have you auditioned and not gotten the part?"

"Hm..." Minhyuk began to count on his fingers, "Five."

"How long have you been acting with them?" Hyungwon pointed back to the inside of the building.

"Not even a year yet, I've auditioned with other companies before." Minhyuk was looking at him with a confused face but Hyungwon just shook his head.

"Never mind. Congratulations, I'll tell Kihyun, he'll be ecstatic." Hyungwon gave a small smile over his shoulder before pulling out his phone to call Gyo, he was planning on waiting for his driver in the coffee shop across the street but before he could bring his phone up to his ear it was pulled out of his hand and the sound of the call ending could be heard. "What?" He turned to Minhyuk.

He held Hyungwon's phone back out to him with an apologetic look on his face. "I know you're still not feeling your best and all but I was thinking we could hang out? You know, to understand each other better since we're - like, costars now?" He scratched his neck with his pointer finger.

"We don't even have the scripts yet and we won't show up for like, another month or something." Hyungwon wasn't aiming to be rude but he really wanted to curl up into a ball on his bed and sleep the rest of the day. He woke up several times in the middle of the night because of a nightmare and Kihyun called him early in the morning to summarize what Hyunwoo had done for him. "I really didn't need to hear that," he mumbled to himself.

"What?" Minhyuk asked.

"Nothing. I'm just tired is all, where were you planning on hanging out?"

"You don't have to go I was just suggesting, we could always do it another time," Minhyuk was rambling and Hyungwon laughed to cut him off.

"You sound like Jihoon. I'll be fine, I just need some coffee." He pointed towards the Starbucks he was heading towards. Minhyuk hopped in his step next to him as they made their way over. The café was surprisingly near empty, there were a few people sitting around, using the free WiFi to their advantage and a two workers chatting among themselves but greeted the two as they walked through the door.

"What do you want?" Asked Hyungwon, already pulling out his wallet. Minhyuk smirked and shook his head.

"Oh no, you're not going to pay for me. We'll pay separately." Hyungwon rolled his eyes and stepped up to the register before walking over to the pickup opening.

"So why so tired?" Minhyuk swayed over, trying to amuse the tired brunette.

"Just didn't get a lot of sleep last night." Hyungwon shrugged, taking his drink from the barista then waiting for Minhyuk to get his. The slightly bitter taste was already refreshing and he felt himself relax against the wall.

"Did something happen?" Minhyuk got his drink, the workers were surprisingly quick.

"Wow you're really into your role aren't you?" Hyungwon laughed, gesturing towards the chair. Minhyuk shook his head and pointed towards the door.

"I actually got Jihoon to name the role after my friend. He's a big fan of you, you know." Hyungwon snorted then coughed on what he had in his mouth.

"I think I've met him." Hyungwon thought back to the day he auditioned. "Did he have blond hair? And is he sensitive to sunlight?"

"He has blond hair but he's not sensitive to the sun."

"Oh, then never mind." He sipped the coffee, breathing out after he swallowed, he inhaled sharply before repeating the process.

"So," Minhyuk started, they had walked pretty far from the building and he wondered where Hyungwon was going. "Why Kihyun?" He looked down into the clear cap of the cup.

"What about Kihyun?"

"Why do you like him? And how are you two still close when you have feelings for him?"

"It's a lame, and he doesn't know."

"How does he not know?"

"I've never told him."

"How long have you liked him again?" Minhyuk turned Hyungwon around to view his expression, he could see the slight pain in his eyes but it was dulled out by immunity to his feelings.

"Ten years?" Hyungwon squinted up at the sky then dropped his gaze to observe Minhyuk's reaction. He was expecting him to look surprised but he got a little bit of anger and a ton of confusion. Hyungwon raised a single eyebrow.

"What could he have possibly done to make you hold out for more than ten years?" Hyungwon shrugged then continued to walk, he was slightly regretting his agreement to Minhyuk's date. "Hyungwon!"

"He didn't do anything, I've just liked him for that long. Is that not a possibility?" He lied through his teeth and he knew Minhyuk wouldn't buy it but if he showed that he refused to talk then maybe Minhyuk would drop the subject.

"It is... But I know that's not the situation between you two. If you just liked him for that long and you're willing to just stand by to watch him be together with someone else then he must have done something important."

"Really into character. Did you tell Jihoon to base them off of you?" Hyungwon was already halfway done with his drink and he was looking around to find a way he could get back to the parking lot without retracing their steps. On a whim, he pressed the crosswalk button.

"You're avoiding the question."

"Why would you like to know so bad?" Hyungwon took another large gulp of his drink. He was sure Minhyuk wasn't giving up anytime soon but he texted Gyo while Minhyuk was ordering. If his driver was fast enough, they could get back and Hyungwon's ride would be there.

"Just so I get to know you better." Minhyuk looked both ways as they crossed but Hyungwon seemed like he couldn't care less. The area they were walking through wasn't very populated but it wasn't as raggedy as other places either but even if it were Hyungwon wouldn't care.

"You could have asked a simple, 'What's your favorite color' or 'Do you have any dogs or cats?'" He felt something wet on his hand and he realized the movements spilled a bit of his coffee. He whipped his hand down towards the floor. "Sorry!" He apologized when he saw Minhyuk jumping back.

"It's fine. I hate small talk, though, it's boring and awkward and you don't get much information about how a person thinks by knowing their favorite color."

"Then how about not talking? Because I'm not planning on telling you anything." His phone vibrated in his pocket, a reply from Gyo saying he had an emergency and couldn't make it. He cursed under his breath. He could see the audition building in the distance.

"At least now I know there's something," Minhyuk teased. Hyungwon rolled his eyes and looked at the shop they were walking by, they sold nice coats and he needed some new ones. "What is your favorite color anyway? And do you have any pets?"

Hyungwon smiled, relieved that there was a change in the conversation. "I thought you didn't want to know," he teased back. When Minhyuk pouted he gave the guy a little break. "I don't really have one and I would be a horrible pet owner. I forget to feed myself."

"No wonder you're so thin, why don't we eat out somewhere? I'll pay." Minhyuk pointed back towards the mall.

"Yeah I think that's fine." Hyungwon felt himself shaking his head then paused. Minhyuk was looking at him with a confused expression. Hyungwon thought about what he said then blushed at his mistake.

"I mean no I'm fine I'll just eat when I get home and I already have this anyway." He twirled the drink in his hands but Minhyuk shook his head, taking his arm and dragging him back towards the crosswalk.

"Minhyuk! Really I'm fine!" Hyungwon tried pulling his arm out of the blonde's grasp while they waited for the crossing signal to light up.

"Whatever, your body obviously wants to eat, your stomach was speaking for you, listen to it won't you?" The signal finally changed and Hyungwon found the mall getting closer and closer. Halfway across the street, Hyungwon realized that they had a good chance of getting run over if he continued to struggle.

Walking into the mall was refreshing, Minhyuk had let him go once they were in the parking lot and Hyungwon told himself that he was just too drowsy to run away and that he definitely didn't follow because he really was hungry. The mall was warm and Hyungwon shivered from the difference in temperature. The hall from which they entered lead to the cafeteria and Hyungwon groaned, feeling his hunger now.

"Told you." Hyungwon felt an elbow moving him to the side and he playfully shoved the owner of said elbow.

"Whatever, get your wallet ready because I'm using it to my advantage." Hyungwon thought about acting on his words as he was in line for a barbecue restaurant but he knew he would be wasting food and money if he ordered more than one meal. He settled for a pork bowl, throwing Minhyuk a fake smile when the other decided to tease him again.

"If that's your idea of using my wallet to your advantage I'll treat you anytime."

"Yeah, yeah. I just didn't want to waste food." Hyungwon stuffed his face and refused to look at Minhyuk. He felt like he should be inhaling the food but Minhyuk's won too many times already.

"So will you tell me now?" Minhyuk raised his eyebrows and Hyungwon choked on a grain of rice. Grabbing for his water he chugged down a good half cup before trying to clear out anything else. "Is that a yes or..."

"No - I mean yes - wait no I mean no." Hyungwon sighed at his words and hid his face in his hands.

"Just tell me. I promise on my mother's life that I won't tell a soul."

"It's a long story," Hyungwon warned once.

"I have time." Minhyuk leaned back in his chair and waited for Hyungwon to start.

"Fine, first off I never thought Kihyun would like me back."

-

Hyungwon was five when he first met Kihyun. It was at an orphanage. Hyungwon was following around the headmaster but hid behind anything he could when he found her walking towards another person.

Hyungwon had been looking down at his untied shoelaces and he wanted to stop to tie them but the headmaster was still walking so he couldn't. He bumped into her leg when she finally paused and he looked around to see why. He saw another boy, around his age, staring at him curiously. He was holding onto his mother's belt the same way Hyungwon was.

Feeling shy Hyungwon immediately looked around for a wall or desk. He could feel the other boy's eyes on him as he bolted to hide behind the wall and he was reminded of his untied shoelaces when he tripped over them. His hands made a painful slapping noise against the tile floor and it caught the attention of both the headmaster, the kid, his mother, and the other kids around him.

As he got up and ran farther away he didn't know if the tears were from embarrassment or the pain on his palms. He reached his bedroom safely, without hearing any laughs, and observed the damage. They were an angry red color and they stung when he closed them but he the thought of going back outside to run them under cold water didn't seem worth it. He decided blowing would be enough and in the action, he didn't notice the same kid from before coming into the room until hands touched his.

He flinched away at first, acting like the gentle touch burned him even more. When he saw who it was, he held his hands out again. The kid brought a wet cloth with him and he put it on Hyungwon's hands to clean them before checking Hyungwon's face for any other injuries.

"Better?" The boy asked. Hyungwon nodded then let out the softest thank you he could give. The kid smiled so brightly it made Hyungwon want to smile as well.

He found out the boy's name was Kihyun and it was later that day when Hyungwon realized the woman from earlier was not his mother. The woman had brought him there to stay. Hyungwon was sent to get himself ready for bed as Kihyun got settled in and when Hyungwon came back into the room he saw Kihyun awake, waiting for him to come back.

Kihyun was adopted first. It was two years later. He was happy and Hyungwon didn't want to ruin his mood so he kept a smile on his face. It was the first time he ever faked something while talking to Kihyun. At the time he didn't know what made him so sad. The fact Kihyun was adopted earlier than him or just the fact Kihyun was adopted. The night Kihyun left Hyungwon didn't cry, he held in his tears because Kihyun promised to see him again. He had promised on the matching Kermit the Frog toys they had.

They had tried to keep in touch with letters but eventually Kihyun had gone to a public school and he didn't have enough time to write. Hyungwon spent those days sleeping and following the headmaster again, making sure his shoelaces were double-knotted at all times.

When Hyungwon was adopted he had almost forgotten about Kihyun. It was three years after Kihyun was adopted. He was ten, adopted by a large man. Hyungwon was scared of him, he was drunk all the time. Hyungwon watched him drink during the drive to his home.

There were days where Hyungwon and the man would go on 'trips' together. He would bring Hyungwon to bars and clubs, showing him off to some ladies waiting to be let in before being shooed off. Keys were thrown at his face so he could get back into the apartment. The first few days of that, the workers at the desk wouldn't let him go up since he wasn't the real owner and there wasn't anyone home to allow him access. He would wait on the couches until his 'father' came home or until the workers felt bad for him.

There was one day where his 'father' didn't come back and he woke up to policemen. He was intimidated at first, asking where his father was and what happened to him. When he heard his father had died while driving under the influence he surprised himself when he didn't cry. He let the officers take him to another orphanage, a different one than before, where he stayed for another two weeks before he was adopted again.

She was a nice lady, she was sweet to Hyungwon. She bathed him even though he knew how to do it himself and she would always have some sort of food for him to eat. She brought him with her whenever she went somewhere, just to get him used to the buildings around him.

A few weeks later Hyungwon was dropped off at a daycare. He would watch his new mother leave out the window then proceed to sit in the corner to wait for her to return. He looked around whenever he felt someone staring at him but everyone was playing with each other so he would just go back to staring out the window and waiting for his 'mother' to come back.

Staying at the daycare and watching was his usual routine but it was interrupted one day when a stuffed animal was thrown at his face. He wasn't affected by it in the slightest. He just looked at it for a second, only long enough to see that it was green, before pushing it away so whoever threw it would be able to get it back without having to bother him.

The stuffed animal was thrown at him again so he did the same. The third time it happened he got a bit annoyed but repeated the action. When he felt like the animal was about to come towards his face again he looked around to see where it came from.

Ten-year-old Kihyun was standing there, holding Kermit the Frog behind his head, getting ready to throw it again. He put it down when Hyungwon saw him then slowly made is way over. Hyungwon opted for staying silent, he remembered small things about Kihyun, his birthday and the first day they met. He subconsciously rubbed his hands together.

"You're Hyungwon." It wasn't a question. It was just Kihyun stating the obvious, Hyungwon nodded anyway.

"I'm Kihyun, do you remember me?" Hyungwon nodded again and Kihyun smiled brightly, the same effect as before took place and Hyungwon smiled back. That day Kihyun spent the time telling Hyungwon about how his adoption had been, how he was introduced to everything and about his new family. He asked Hyungwon but the other just said he had just gotten adopted and nothing new really happened.

That day Hyungwon learned Kihyun's mother was a manager, she was a willow, and she always brought him around to meet everyone she managed. Kihyun told him about meeting actors he's never heard about but he pretended to be interested.

Every day, Kihyun had a new story to tell Hyungwon and the other would listen with his full intention. There were days when Kihyun would come in happier than he's ever been and there were days when he would storm over to Hyungwon just to talk about how fake some actors were. Over time he only came to admire the way Kihyun retold everything and his passion for watching actors.

2 years passed, Hyungwon and Kihyun were now in Kihyun's house, watching one of Kihyun's favorite movies, Constantine. It was a rainy day perfectly fitting the mood of the film but that mood was ruined when both their names were called from the bottom of the stairs. Kihyun told Hyungwon to ignore it at first but he heard his mother's footsteps so he paused the movie and opened the door before she could even knock.

Her eyes were immediately on Hyungwon, she looked very apologetic and somehow Hyungwon knew what had happened. He simply nodded, he really shouldn't be used to it but he was and he simply walked out with the four policemen. Before he got into the car he heard Kihyun's young voice promising they would see each other again.

-

"What happened to her?" Minhyuk interrupted for the first time since Hyungwon started the story. Hyungwon looked surprised at the sudden intrusion, he thought Minhyuk wouldn't be interested in hearing repeated information.

"She died, or at least that's what I think happened. They said she was kidnapped and her body was never found." Hyungwon looked around for something to drink, he should have bought water with his meal. "Hold on I'm going to get water." He pushed himself away from the table and walked over to the shortest line.

When he turned around again he spilled a little of the water in surprise from seeing Minhyuk right behind him. He wiped off the small droplets and looked towards the table they were sitting at to find it already clean.

"I thought we could walk back to my car. I just got a text from Jihoon saying that he forgot to give us the scripts so I was thinking you could finish the story on the way if you want to of course, and I could drop you off." Minhyuk was making nervous hand gestures so Hyungwon nodded along and they made their way towards the exit.

"So..." Minhyuk drawled out, trying to get Hyungwon to continue his story.

"Oh right. So my mom just died right?"

-

Hyungwon spent the next five years of his life under the care of another headmaster of another orphanage. He made a point to never make friends with anyone and to avoid human contact as much as possible. He felt happier with distance, keeping a level head while thinking about Kihyun.

Hyungwon never had a great education. Orphanages could only provide so much. Luckily the first orphanage he went to was of the higher-paid and he was able to learn how to read and write. He held a few math skills under his belt as well. Being fourteen and wanting to be farthest away from everyone as possible he asked if he could go to the library down the street. Once he got permission he would spend the whole day there, only coming back for sleep and meals but he never got much of that anyway.

Hyungwon read everything, he didn't particularly find it pleasing but it gave him something to do. He even read the textbooks provided, which was how he got most of his education. There were times where he asked someone how to pronounce a word but he would leave right after they answered.

Self-teaching and much rereading gave him a great memory but he knew that without a college degree he wouldn't be getting anywhere. He settled with a job at McDonalds when he was sixteen. The headmasters never minded him, if they didn't want him doing something they would tell him right? When he walked out in town none of them scolded him about it, perhaps they didn't know he was doing it.

Either way, Hyungwon got the job because apparently him being there would make the fattening stereotype fall, he wasn't complaining.

When he got his first paycheck he didn't know what to do with it so he left it on the headmaster's desk without a word. He would leave every first check of the month on the headmaster's desk then kept the second for himself in a drawer underneath his clothes.

When he was half a year older than sixteen he began investing his money in dance classes. He forged the paperwork and signatures. He knew he would be going to jail if he was caught but he literally had nothing to lose at that moment. He faked his name and everything he called himself Gizo, gave the number of his mother and the address of that same mother.

The workers could tell that he was forging everything, he got the papers then turned them in on the same day, but Hyungwon probably left a legacy behind in his other life because they still let him take the classes.

Another half year later, during one of the practices, the owner of the company came by to evaluate the workers and when she saw the way Hyungwon moved and the way he looked she wanted to cast him as a backup dancer for one of her shows.

When she asked Hyungwon to bring his mother to discuss the details he profoundly refused. If she saw that his 'mother' was the head of the orphanage everything about his talent would be overlooked and he would go to jail but God must love him because the workers that let him take classes had personally gone down to get the real information from the orphanage head.

Hyungwon moved to Seoul, the people he was working for had bought him an apartment. It wasn't grand but it was still somewhere to live. Hyungwon was allowed to eat backstage after performances and he was paid enough to get clothes he liked.

He could feel himself getting happier. He didn't have to interact with many people. Being a backup dancer didn't require much conversation. He had his own apartment with his own shower, his own, bathroom, and his own bed. He was only eating one meal a day but it was a rather large meal on his part and he still got paid.

When he saw Kihyun again it was after he was offered a deal to model. He was noticed by his long build and naturally slim frame. It was his second time at a photo shoot and in the middle of posing, he was asked to take a call.

"Hyungwon!" Kihyun's somewhat familiar voice made it through the speaker, causing Hyungwon to blink so his eyeballs wouldn't fall out of their sockets. Kihyun and he had stayed on the phone for a while, catching up on each other's lives but eventually, the photographers in charge of the shoot gave him a sign that he should start to wrap things up.

-

"He said he recognized me from dance shows but he found me in magazines then asked if I would be his first ever client." Hyungwon and Minhyuk were on their way to Hyungwon's penthouse, they already picked up the scripts, Hyungwon was reading parts of it as he told the story, looking up occasionally to make sure Minhyuk would make the right turn. About five more minutes till they arrived at his apartment.

"Was it your idea to become an actor?" Minhyuk glanced at his passenger.

"I don't really mind," Hyungwon's phone vibrated and he checked the text. Seeing the contents of the message he tried not to be obvious with his feelings.

"You're acting because of Kihyun?" Hyungwon put his phone back into his pocket as his building came into view and nodded.

"I wouldn't exactly say I'm acting, though. Thanks for the ride." He quickly opened the door. Minhyuk's hand was keeping him from going and he suddenly remembered the time he was about to pay the other.

"Wait I still don't understand why you like Kihyun so much." Minhyuk was expecting some kind of pain in Hyungwon's expression but there was only tolerance.

"He's the only person that came back." He shrugged Minhyuk's hand off and strolled over to the entrance of his building, trying to ignore the newest text he's gotten from Kihyun.

'Hyunwoo just proposed! [pic]'

He couldn't help but think about how Kihyun was slowly starting to leave again.


	5. Tomfoolery

Hyungwon woke up from his beautiful dreamless sleep by the sound of his doorbell and knocking. He cracked his eyes open for a second before closing them again, turning over underneath the pile of comforters.

The chime and knocking came again and Hyungwon thought that whoever it was would leave him alone if he didn't answer. He mentally cursed at the fact his mind was already awake, which means he wouldn't get much sleep even if the stranger left.

He figured he would still wait it out, the stranger would leave soon enough and his mind would be at ease, then he could go back to sleep.

His door didn't go off after that and he sunk himself deeper into the blankets with a content smile on his face. He got his mind to relax again and once he felt the dizziness of slumber lure him in his phone rang.

Grumbling to himself he wrestled the blankets to cut off the repeating sound.

"Hello?" He made sure to sound extra annoyed, he was planning on sleeping the whole day, he faced the same problem for the past week, he couldn't have gotten any more than a few hours of sleep.

"Why won't you answer your door! Your neighbors are looking at me weird." Hyungwon didn't know how to reply to that in a way other than his own questions.

"Why are you at my house so early in the morning? How did you even know the room number?" Hyungwon's phone was pressed between his cheek and the pillow. He hadn't fully opened his eyes and the only time he saw a light was the illumination from his phone screen.

"Hyungwon it's eight, it's not that early- Huh?" Hyungwon waited for Minhyuk's voice to come back to the phone, he was talking to someone in the hallway. Hyungwon could hear him disagree with something and if he made an effort to pay more attention he could have figured out what the decline was for.

"Hyungwon, you have to open your door. There's this lady that thinks I'm some crazy fan and she threatened to call the cops if you don't."

The thought of leaving him there came to Hyungwon's mind for two reasons. Number one, he thought it would be fun to mess with him. Number two, he really didn't want to get out of his bed. After a drawled out, panic-filled plea, Hyungwon groaned, "Just give her the phone and I'll tell her it's me."

"Hyungwon is that really you?"

"Oh? Mrs. Boo? Yes, it's me Hyungwon. I woke up when he started knocking on my door, he's one of my coworkers don't worry."

"Oh," there was a few words and Hyungwon could almost imagine the exchange. Mrs. Boo would hang her head in an apology and add a bow. Minhyuk would probably be surprised and put his hands out in front of him to straighten her up gently then understandingly dismiss her actions. "Hyungwon do you want me to let him in for you? He's been waiting for a while..." It was very faint but he could hear the sound of keys clanking against each other and he shot up in bed.

"No Mrs. Boo that's not really-" He was cut off by the sound of an ending call and he fell back onto his pillows in exasperation. He eyed his bedroom door, he was hoping Minhyuk would get lost somewhere in the small suite.

He heard the doors below him open and his name being called and he did his best to ignore it but there would only be a matter of time till Minhyuk opened the one to his bedroom. If he got up now he would save the chance of him getting even more annoyed but if he waited till Minhyuk found him he wouldn't have to get out of bed till the blond forced him to.

They were two very compelling options but Hyungwon decided that it would be best if he didn't start the day off with a migraine. Scrambling out of the sheets he threw his door open, making sure Minhyuk could hear the sound of his door slamming shut on his way out.

He didn't bother trying to find out where Minhyuk was, he simply walked over to his bathroom, repeated the action, and began his mourning routine. He smirked to himself at the mental pun.

Cold water on his face got him into a slightly better mood but the longing to close his eyes was still there. On his way back down the hall, he found Minhyuk taking the last step up the stairs.

He glared at the blond, keeping the hateful look as he gave the other a once over then pushed passed him to walk towards the kitchen, maybe he had something to eat if he didn't he's spent plenty of days without breakfast.

Minhyuk followed, black socks padding gently against the floor. The material of his black skinny jeans brushed against each other making a noise, and his hand squeaked against the railing has the two slid together. Hyungwon made an effort to ignore the fact he was aware of those things.

He took a good lap around his kitchen, checking the fridge to find a few dairy products, he checked his cupboards and there were some ramen cups but he was sure he would get some sort of disease if he didn't take a break for a while. Not until he double checked the fridge did he noticed the plastic bags filled with Styrofoam boxes.

He felt how empty his stomach was and he looked to Minhyuk a lot less anger than before. "Thanks," he sat down after saying that then gestured for Minhyuk to do the same. "This isn't all for me, right? You're eating too?"

"I kind of bought it for you but if you want me to I could." Minhyuk shrugged, putting his phone down.

"Even if I haven't eaten in a week, I wouldn't be able to eat all of this food." Hyungwon counted six boxes each filled with a different combination of food. The smell of all the different kinds of spices filled his nose, some boxes gave off a sweeter smell and he felt his stomach complain.

He reached for the last box he took out, beef, pork, and rice with bits of sesame seeds. Spread in random areas. As his hand neared the box he saw another one in his peripherals. He was about to take his hand away but Minhyuk made a small noise to make Hyungwon freeze while he grabbed the next closest box.

Shrimp glazed with a sweet sauce sat next to stir fried noodles and more beef but there was also broccoli and other vegetables, rice portion was the same as Hyungwons.

"Are you sure-"

"Yes." Minhyuk interrupted, snapping chopsticks and sticking some noodles in his mouth almost immediately so Hyungwon wouldn't have time to argue.

"Thanks..." Hyungwon took the box he originally reached for and took his time breaking his chopsticks and trying the food. "Where'd you go and how much do I owe?"

"You owe me nothing." Minhyuk said it like Hyungwon should know it already, "There was this new place, I think it was called Banshiki. I didn't know what to get so I just bought everything."

"Something tells me you aren't here to just give me food, though." Hyungwon was halfway done with his food, hungrier than he thought he was.

"Why can't I just give a friend some food?" Minhyuk tried to sound offended but when Hyungwon laughed he couldn't keep his own from coming out. "Okay fine, I wanted to go to the fair." Minhyuk leaned back in his chair. He was eating somewhat slower than Hyungwon but not too far behind the halfway point.

"Isn't today the last? There'll be a lot of people there." Hyungwon sounded like he was warning the other but he was sure Minhyuk had no problem walking through the sea of people, he himself was a different story.

"Exactly! I want to go before it's too late, I've been planning but everyone's canceled on me so I thought if I randomly showed up to your place you would want to go."

"Do you want something to drink?" Hyungwon stood from the table and walked over to his cupboards to get two glasses. "Ice or no ice?" He made his way over to the fridge and began to get water for himself.

"Ice please." Hyungwon drank his cup on the way back to the table and made sure none of Minhyuk's beverage would spill as he handed it over.

"How did you find my room number again?"

"I asked Kihyun. So you'll go with me? I'll pay for everything-"

"I'll go with you if I get to pay," Hyungwon smirked at Minhyuk's torn expression. "You paid for all this food, it'll be good for a week so I'm not making you pay for me even more than you already have. You paid for me at the mall a few days ago too."

"But-"

"But nothing. If you really want someone to go with you, you can search elsewhere because I'm not going unless I'm paying." Hyungwon took the last bite of the box and debated with himself about whether or not he was going to eat another one or not. He looked across the table where Minhyuk was mulling over Hyungwon's statement while playing with his food.

"Can I pay for my own ticket?" Minhyuk looked up with a hopeful expression and Hyungwon just shook his head and leaned back in his chair to drink his water.

"Who else did you ask?"

"I told you about my friend Yujin right? Well, I asked him but he said he had work today and he wouldn't even skip. Which is completely unfair, by the way, because he owes me."

"How does he owe you?"

"I- uh I mean..." Minhyuk blushed and shook his head. "That's for another time but he owes me."

"Why didn't you go on an earlier day? You know, when your friend didn't have work?"

"I wanted to go on the last day, they always have the best finales and it's easier to win the games."

Hyungwon nodded then cleaned the table as he waited for Minhyuk to find his answer. When all the boxes were in the fridge and all the trash was thrown away he gave his visitor an expected look.

"Fine, you can pay. Go get ready." Minhyuk pouted in his chair like a little boy and Hyungwon gave an insincere pout back, adding a pat on the shoulder on his way up the stairs.

Minhyuk knocked on the door to Hyungwon's room before entering.

"I didn't even say come in." Hyungwon was fixing the coat on his shoulders, shrugging to get the feel. His outfit was practically the same as Minhyuk except he wore a forest-green coat over his white shirt instead of a leopard-print jacket.

"I knocked." Hyungwon rolled his eyes at Minhyuk's statement but didn't try to shoo him out.

Minhyuk moved over to the unmade bed and laid over the expanse of the bottom, where Hyungwon's feet would reside. The owner of the bed turned and spread his arms out questioningly.

"Looks great," Hyungwon seemed content with the answer and nodded back to the blond before entering the bathroom.

From the other side of the bathroom door, Minhyuk heard the sound of the sink running before the hair dryer was turned on. He tested the knob and entered when there was no resistance. Hyungwon was finger combing his strands while the heat from the dryer did its job.

"You looked fine."

"Yeah well I wanted to fix it."

"You're a lady."

"Yet you're waiting for this lady." Hyungwon gestured to himself with the hairdryer still running and the force hit his face and he instantly flinched, turning it off and observing his work.

There wasn't much of a difference, the only thing that changed was the back of his head, where the hair was now flat instead of sticking out in several directions.

"Are you driving?" Hyungwon picked phone off the counter ushered Minhyuk out of his bathroom while slipping the device into his pocket. He looked at his bed and thought about fixing it but the thought remained a thought when he ushered the blond out of his room as well.

"Yep, first one downstairs pays for gas money!" Minhyuk quickened his pace, wanting to make sure Hyungwon wouldn't be the one to pay but his socks weren't able to support the speed of his turn and he felt himself lose balance. Hyungwon wasn't much behind him which caused both of them to land on their butts. They took a moment of recovery before gripping the rail and sprinting the rest of the way down.

"No..." Hyungwon panted, glaring at the victorious Minhyuk, "fair. You called it and got a head start." He coughed into his elbow in a result of his dry throat.

"Yeah," Minhyuk replied, the same amount of breath taken out of him, "Well I won and you can't pay for gas money." He did a little dance as he made his way over to the door but his socks gave up on him once again and he felt himself falling again. "Ahh-"

His back hit a moving surface and by the way both is feet could feel the ground he definitely didn't fall all the way. He looked up to see Hyungwon laughing at him. He reeled himself up, flipping Hyungwon off as he finished his journey to the entrance.

-

"Hyungwon we're here." Minhyuk pushed the sleeping actor's shoulder to wake him. The other male in the car curled up into a ball facing away from his driver but Minhyuk pulled his shoulder back to take him out of it. "Hyungwon." Minhyuk deadpanned.

There was a groan and the crack of an eye before it closed and long limbs began pressing against the walls of the car. He looked out the window, surprised at how close Minhyuk got to park.

The line to the entrance was pretty long but it was shorter and moving faster than Hyungwon had expected. He decided to not question too much and finally opened the door, heat from the interior of the vehicle escaped and the cool air from outside slipped in. He shivered slightly.

"I feel over but underdressed." Hyungwon shoved his hands in his pockets to keep them warm as he walked alongside Minhyuk.

Minhyuk understood his feeling. He's been to the fair every year and every time there'd be a specific theme that never fails to amaze him. Last year's theme was minions and all the workers had to dress up as the yellow creatures. Little kids were running around blabbering nonsense with purpose and parents were holding the tops of their heads in annoyance with everything. It was great.

This year it had been Alice in Wonderland, the new movie was coming out and everyone had crazy hats on in honor of the Mad Hatter. In his rush to find someone he never got to make one and Hyungwon certainly, couldn't have known. He was glad they weren't the only two undressed. Every few meters there would be one or two people with only their hair on their heads but he felt a little more down when he remembered he could have used some sort of temporary hair coloring at least.

"You look fine, it's cold anyway and long coats suit you, don't worry too much, no one's going to judge how you dress. I wish I was wearing more layers. And something to go with the theme."

"You're wearing, like, three. What's the theme?"

"First off, you're feeling how cold it is outside right now right? Secondly, look around! What does everyone look like?" Minhyuk faced him with a confused expression and arms out to his sides in a gesture to everyone around them.

"Ohhh," Hyungwon finally understood everyone's outfits, "The Hatter wears coats, though."

"He's not called the Coatter, is he?" Hyungwon rolled his eyes and brought the other over to the closest booth selling hats. As they neared he saw that there was a station to make your own.

"Make your own hats, twenty bucks each. Use any of the accessories and the wait is only one hour." He mumbled the sentence, as he finished Minhyuk darted towards a particular one.

It was the signature black top hat with a checkered pattern framing the bottom of the cylinder. Bunny ears stuck out from underneath the patterned cloth and swords were drawn in glitter decorating the sides. Purple strings hung from where the flat top met the vertical sides and created a small exploding effect. On the very top, the letters 'M' and 'H' were stitched in white. Minhyuk needed it.

"How much?" He looked up at the worker nearing him, eyes sparkling and when Hyungwon saw the way he asked he was briefly reminded of all the times Kihyun begged him into doing something. Then he remembered just how many times it's happened and frowned to himself.

When he zoned himself back into the conversation and brought his eyes back to Minhyuk he wondered why the other was copying his expression.

"I'm sorry sir, but this isn't for sale. If you want, you could make one just like it in our workshop!" The rainbow-haired worker gestured towards the crowded area and Minhyuk slumped in place.

"Are you sure I can't buy it off of you?"

"I'm sorry sir but there's a competition going on this year for the best hat and I was going to enter this into the contest." Hyungwon scoffed under his breath but hid it with a cough.

Minhyuk took one more look at the hat before nodding. His jutted lip and sad expression tugged at Hyungwon's heart and he bit his lip trying to figure out how to cheer the other up.

"I'm sure there will be other hats that'll be for sale." He peeked at how Minhyuk reacted and panicked when his expression didn't light up. "Minhyuk cmon, there's a bunch of other things we can do, I mean you already dragged me all the way out here," he succeeded getting a small smile on Minhyuk's face. "We didn't even ride anything yet, or try any food." Minhyuk was looking up, it was to meet eyes with Hyungwon but it was something.

"Do you want to just go around? Do we have tickets for rides?"

"Sure. Uhh, we'd have to buy some" Hyungwon sped up the way he spoke and cut Minhyuk off before the other could let out a single word of an offer. "Before you say you'll pay, you're not."

Watching Minhyuk deflate back into a pout made Hyungwon smile as he made his way over to one of the ticket booths. "I'm thinking we should just get the bracelet. Unless you don't like rides," Minhyuk spoke from the side. Hyungwon nodded, going along with what Minhyuk said.

He's never really been to the fair, he's never been interested in going by himself and every time he thought of going with Kihyun their schedules would be backed up and they wouldn't have much time on their hands. By the time both of them were laid back in regards to showbusiness, Kihyun wanted to go with Hyunwoo and Hyungwon refused to be the third wheel.

Hearing the worker refer to him in a lazy, bored voice brought him back to the present and he stumbled on his words, "U-uh, can we buy the bracelets here?"

"Yeah, 70 bucks." The worker pointed to their left and Hyungwon looked to his right to see the sign with a list of tickets and prices. At the very bottom of the faded pink sign, it read, 'bracelets.... 35e'

Digging through his wallet he pulled out four and thanked the zoned-out girl as he left the booth. "Which ride first?" He only got a few paces away before both of them stopped to get the bracelets on.

"We're going around right?" Minhyuk played with his wristband as he took in the scenery. "The food and rides are the same every year," Minhyuk stated, tone of voice happier than when he was talking to the lady, "And I've tried everything already, buuut" Minhyuk's full smile came back to his face but Hyungwon knew he was still in the midst of getting over the hat. "That just means I know where all the cheap good stuff is at. We should really take the rides first - unless you're hungry."

"I'm sure I could go the rest of the day without food if I had to." Hyungwon touched his stomach, the thought of eating more made him feel fuller than he was a few seconds ago.

"True, but you don't have to do that now do you, going to the fair's all about the caramel corn and fried Oreos and all the unhealthy food you can think of!" Minhyuk threw his hands up in the air, wishing that it weren't so crowded so he could open them up wider for a bigger effect.

"You know we're actors right?" Despite how good it sounded to eat something sweet he remembered how instantly the directors pointed out a change in his weight, whether it was lost or gained.

"We're not filming for a few more months and I'm sure Seungcheol, Jihoon, and Soonyoung wouldn't care if you gained a hundred pounds till then. They'd figure out a way to use it. And not to mention how much meat you need on your bones."

"I only gain weight in my cheeks."

"I don't keep track of things like that but I think... for me... it goes to my stomach. Do you want to go on that?" Minhyuk pointed towards the bouncy house, there were seven-year-olds screaming at each other and laughing at an amazingly loud volume.

"I don't think they would let us in that, we might hurt the kids." Minhyuk furrowed his brows before realizing what Hyungwon was looking at.

"No not that," he took Hyungwon by the shoulder and made him face the bouncy obstacle corse, several teenagers were scrambling through, pushing out against the sides and jumping as high as they could to get over inflatable bars. After that they disappeared from view for a few seconds then raced to the top of air-filled stairs, throwing themselves over the small resting stop and tumbling down the slide.

Minhyuk was looking at the twenty-five-foot drop in sheer excitement and Hyungwon found himself showing his wristband to the worker standing guard.

The grass underneath his socks was wet and he took off his coat so he could maneuver around everything. He looked to his left before copying his opponents movements.

Minhyuk was hopping from one foot to the next to keep warm and he wrapped his arms around himself, rubbing the fabric of his sweater over his skin.

"Race?" Minhyuk asked when they were second in line, Hyungwon nodded as the two in front of them made their way in.

"Okay, no staying in the same spot, you must move as much as you can and get through the course as quick as you can. You're not allowed to come back out this way, you have to get all the way through and down the slide to get off of this. Would you like a countdown?" The two looked at each other before nodding their heads at the instructor.

"Okay, on your marks, get set, go." There was a quick swipe of a hand and Hyungwon propelled himself through the small opening leading to a maze of inflated pillars. Maneuvering around them he stumbled as the weight constantly shifted. He could feel where Minhyuk was. He was in the lead, for now.

He reached the bar he was supposed to go over, he thought the others he watched were just trying to make it hard on themselves but it was an actual wall in his way. To his right side, his weight shifted and he knew he would have to get over this wall fast if he wanted to win. Taking a quick test jump, he could see over the inflatable separator. He saw Minhyuk struggling and laughed.

The extra breath lost was a mistake as he took his first trial over the wall. His arms went over but he couldn't get a good grip. The second time he tried he felt something. Trying to reach onto it again he felt a pressure at his shoulder and realized there was supposed to be a rope on this side for help.

He brought it to the other side and stole a glance at Minhyuk's side at the same time. The blond had figured out about it earlier than he had and was already on his way up.

Minhyuk got over just a bit faster than Hyungwon and made a scene of getting through the upcoming tunnel, his whole side shaking and throwing Hyungwon off balance.

Pushing his body off the wall he crawled through the tight space and sprinted towards the stairs, face-planting into the not-so-soft wall. He rubbed his nose and sniffed for a small moment before speeding up the steep hill. When he finally got to the top he wanted to check where Minhyuk was but he couldn't afford to waste any time. He slid head first down the smooth passage and felt his adrenaline reach its max.

His heart was thrumming wildly from his competitive thoughts and the thrill of dropping at an unknown end intensified everything. Finally, his head hit the base of the slide and he groaned from the impact. He opened his eyes from the flinch and weakly smiled up at the victorious Minhyuk.

"Again?"

"Lemme..." Hyungwon rolled off the end, and closed his eyes while he held onto Minhyuk, the head rush was intense and he thought he might actually pass out. "Lemme rest a little."

Minhyuk walked them over to get their stuff before leading Hyungwon to the closest bench where the taller couldn't help but laugh at what had just happened.

"I was so close..." He dropped his head back but lifted it back up immediately after feeling how hard it had hit the backrest. Both the males' spines straightened, Hyungwon felt Minhyuk's hand pressing against his in support to ease the pain. He laughed more and took his hand away then prodding the area with a single finger.

"Are you okay?" Minhyuk was on the verge of laughing too and once he knew there would be no damage to Hyungwon's state of consciousness he let it out. It was a small fit of giggles but it was enough to keep both of them smiling as they returned to the obstacle course.

The second time through was at least ten times easier than the first but the wall still got them, having to pull the rope on the other side then climb using most of your arm strength wasted time and took a toll on one's breathing but Hyungwon got it and won by a millisecond, words of the workers at the bottom.

"I'm pretty sure the wall on the right side is shorter," Hyungwon panted, clutching his coat and slouching next to the equally winded Minhyuk. They had just finished the third race. Minhyuk won twice and Hyungwon once, the winner was always on the right side.

"It is," Minhyuk grinned next to him, laughing when Hyungwon paused and gave Minhyuk a look of disbelief.

"That's totally unfair!" Hyungwon shoved the blond to the side with all his might, it wasn't much, though, he was still tired. Minhyuk simply laughed as he stumbled to the side, the bright sound dismissed the slight anger Hyungwon had.

"You said you know all the cheap places, right? Where's the cheapest place to get water that's not a water fountain?"

The cheapest was still expensive, around three bucks, but the dryness in Hyungwon's throat was relieved and he liked to think it was worth it. With half the water in the bottle gone he began to feel the cool breeze and slipped his coat back on. Minhyuk had done the same before they got the beverage.

"Oh my gosh!" There a scream to Hyungwon's side and he immediately flinched, thinking he was about to step on something. He looked around for the reason of the scream and he saw someone staring at him and Minhyuk in awe.

"You- you're Hyungwon!" She brought a shaky finger up to point at his face and he looked around before pointing to himself. The girl nodded rapidly, her hat threatening to fall off. She slammed it against her head, there was a huge blush on her face and one was beginning to form on Hyungwon's cheeks.

Her eyes drifted slightly before she let out a little squeal came out of her mouth and her finger moved towards Minhyuk. "M-Min-" Hyungwon looked to the side and Minhyuk waved his hand, a small smile on his face.

"C-can- can I?" She looked behind herself as if she didn't know her phone was in her back pocket and took her phone out. Some people were staring, wondering why the teenage girl was freaking out so much.

"Both of us?" Minhyuk wrapped his arm around Hyungwon's shoulder and pointed towards the taller before pointing to himself. She nodded again, still holding her hat. The two males nodded and she let out another scream. Minhyuk was loving her reaction and Hyungwon was simply amused, smiling at her sweetly as she timidly came closer.

"Do you want me to take it?" Hyungwon offered, it would be best if she was between the two and he had the longest arms.

"O-Oh yes please oh my gosh Chae Hyungwon is touching my phone." He chuckled and at the slight touch of their hands she flinched away and he almost dropped it. "Oh God, I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine, Hyungwong caught it." Minhyuk reassured her, "You ready?" Minhyuk wrapped his arm around her waist and Hyungwon copied, they both smiled at the camera as she tried to best to hold in her scream. Hyungwon took one picture, both the males smiling gently and the girl smiling with all her features. When it saved to the phone the girl moved away and Hyungwon handed her the device back.

"Thank you so much! I can't wait to see you both acting again. You're both such great actors, Hyungwon makes it look like he's the actual character and Minhyuk you're so passionate" she squealed again and the two males smiled at her.

"We'll make sure to audition for something soon, promise." Minhyuk held his hand up and the girl nodded.

"I'm sorry for bothering you, thank you so much!" She held her phone to her chest and her eyes never left the two.

"You're welcome, I hope you enjoy the rest of your day. You won't follow us around will you?" The girl's smile dropped for a moment and Hyungwon laughed.

"You came to the fair to have a fun time, not to follow around a couple of boring guys. Plus I don't think a lot of people know who we are and you might look like a stalker. We wouldn't want that." Minhyuk shook his head and she copied the motion, zoned out from the world. The two nodded her off before walking away, checking back every once in a while to make sure she didn't really follow them.

"That was refreshing." Hyungwon chuckled, hands in his pockets.

"I'm surprised she noticed us, you didn't wear makeup right?" Minhyuk maneuvered his neck so his face was in front of Hyungwons. At the close proximity, Hyungwon pushed him slightly and shook his head.

"What character did you play?"

"Most recent?" Hyungwon nodded and Minhyuk thought back for a moment. "Uhh, I think I was in a movie based off a book, I was like... a supporting role but still not the main character. It was a romance movie, typical guy and girl."

"You're Bi?" Hyungwon's eyebrows knit together for a short moment.

"I was just acting but you could say that I mean, I've never dated a girl but I'm sure I would if I liked her." Minhyuk shrugged it off and Hyungwon waited for the continuation of Minhyuk's role.

"Uhhh, it was like - there was a girl that wrote stories and her roommate had a hot best friend - that was me," Hyungwon rolled his eyes with a laugh when Minhyuk interrupted himself. "But yeah my character would just hang around her a lot and they fell in love."

"That sounds too predictable considering Jihoon wrote it."

"Well, originally the girl was supposed to be with this other guy and then there was this whole thing with her mom and sister, and her roommate dated the guy - it was pretty complicated and I don't remember much." He scratched the back of his head.

That part of the conversation ended, leaving a nice silence between the two.

"Ready for the real rides?" Minhyuk smiled as they reached the small banner entitled 'Fun Zone'. The music was blaring and there were screams here and there, several people were talking and Hyungwon watched one ride spin people as they hung upside-down.

"We're going on everything?" Another ride had people strapped down to a sliding mat, the mat was attached to a metal base that clung to the sides as the machine spun. Now that he got a glimpse of everything, the only rides that didn't involve the possibility of vomiting were the ones he was too tall to fit in.

"More than once," Minhyuk promised.

Hyungwon swallowed.

-

"Thank god you brought food to my house. If we ate here, I don't think it would have stayed down." Hyungwon was evidently hungry and Minhyuk had bought two burgers and a funnel cake as he was resting and wondering how the blond was still so lively. He felt like he could sleep for the next three months.

"Do you think you're good at carnival games?" Minhyuk took a bite of his burger after asking the question. Hyungwon was still figuring how to fit the thing in his mouth.

"Not sure, the last time I attempted to play one was in a show and I wasn't really trying." He decided to screw his image and shoved the two buns, lettuce, tomatoes, and patty in his mouth, Minhyuk wasn't kidding when he said he knew where all the good food was at.

"Don't worry, I'll win you something."

-

"This is really good, but I don't think I could handle more," Hyungwon groaned. The night was getting nearer and the two had been trying all the food after playing all the carnival games; trajectory, energy, racing, strategic, and matching. The two managed to win a big stuffed Pikachu head beating another pair in a basketball game. Minhyuk finally got his hat when Hyungwon successfully popped three balloons in a row with darts.

After everything, they made their way back to the center where they ate numerous ice-cream and grease-related treats and it took Hyungwon one bite of a fried Oreo to feel everything he's stuffed into his mouth anchor his stomach.

"Mfh..." Minhyuk knew how Hyungwon felt, his own stomach pushing up against the fabric of his shirt and touching the Pikachu head. He should have never gone with the 'save the best for last' phrase. They'd bought six but they could barely get through half of one.

Minhyuk almost barfed trying to get the other two down but he managed to finish his share of the snack.

Hyungwon was sure he would explode if he ended up finishing those two and he offered them to Minhyuk just in case. They were refused and thrown in the trash not a second later.

"So, time to head home?" Hyungwon let out a small burp, feeling a bit better and able to move after the gas was released.

"One more ride, you can't go to the fair and not ride it." Minhyuk pointed to the largest attraction there and Hyungwon craned his neck to look at the large clock.

The ticks on the clock spun clockwise as the hands spun counter. Hyungwon trailed his eyes back down and sighed at the long line but headed over anyway, the sleepier he was, the easier it would be to fall asleep at night. He gave a loud yawn as they stood behind another couple, a tall girl leaning over her girlfriend as they spoke about nonsense. Hyungwon smiled at them.

"Do you want to go home?" Minhyuk copied Hyungwon's yawn but he didn't look as tired.

"Nah, just tired. I'll sleep when I get there. Maybe a little on the way depending on when we leave and traffic..." He covered his mouth in another yawn, " or something." He blinked once and wiped his eyes.

"How long did you sleep last night?" Hyungwon counted on his fingers to answer the question, he only got to three but he put one more up so Minhyuk wouldn't be too worried.

"You slept at four in the morning? What did you do last night? Why did you even let me bring you?"

Hyungwon shrugged, it's not that he didn't want to answer, he just didn't know what to say. His eyes were closing and he only opened them to make sure he wouldn't step on anything or anyone when they moved up in line.

"Hyungwon are you sure-"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" A loud, booming voice startled the sleepy giant, definitely waking him up. He covered his chest and took deep breaths. "We are now giving away two front passes!" There were cheers from the still lively people, Minhyuk being one of them. Hyungwon pumped his fist in the air.

"But~" The man's voice interrupted the crowd of screams, "Since there are so many people, only three of you will be able to participate. Don't worry, the choices are completely random. If you're in the spotlight you have to come on stage." Hyungwon sighed when he saw all the people that had a chance.

The stage wasn't too far, Hyungwon could see the platform but the people were pretty small. To the sides and on top of it, there were jumbo screens and speakers. In his observation, he was forced to close his eyes by the impending light. He turned away as a bunch of cheers erupted from all around.

"Come up on stage! The spotlight has chosen you!" Hyungwon turned back around, shading his eyes with one hand.

"Hyungwon go!" Minhyuk shoved him light enough to make him stumble forward but still stay up. The spotlight followed him and he had no choice.

"Oh my gosh, it's Hyungwon from Changes!"

"Hyungwon!"

"He was here the whole time?"

"Woooo!" He was getting recognition as he got closer to the stage and passed several other people. He could see more when he was finally on stage, he was the last one to be picked.

"Give it up for our contestants!" Cheering boomed and Hyungwon wondered if the people on the Ferris Wheel were curious as to what was happening down below.

"Now, we're going to play a short part of a song, you'll hear it three times, freestyle the third." Hyungwon took a look at the other two contestants. One of them looked very familiar and he bit his lip, wondering how he would do. The third was a girl, she looked like she would be a good dancer as well and Hyungwon searched for Minhyuk in the crowd so he could throw him an apologetic look just in case.

Hyungwon could match a name to the dancer as he watched him move, Shin Hoseok. It's been a while since he saw the other dance and he couldn't help but feel scared the other would recognize him as well. When he finished dancing to the chorus of Hug Me Hyungwon tilted his head down so he wouldn't be seen.

Next up was the girl, her song was more upbeat than Hoseok's, she was dancing to Work, but Hyungwon thought that it still suit her well. She was swift yet sharp in her movements and Hyungwon admired it.

When the time came for him to dance he thought he could barely hear the music over his heartbeat and the part was over in a second. The repetition was just as quick but Hyungwon felt like the time he spent dancing was the longest minute of his life.

He's heard the song before but this version must have been some sort of remix, it had a lot more bass than he remembered and near the end of his part, it was a little more sped up. His part wasn't the chorus like Hoseok's and the girl's, his was the first two minutes or so and they had started from the beginning so he could get warmed up. He shook his shoulders and swayed to the beat, letting his feet move naturally without restriction. He knew he was a good dancer before he became a model he was always the one asked to demonstrate moves in his class. He hadn't had much time to dance but there were days where he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep so he would watch some videos and try out the choreography.

By the time his part came on he was moving like he'd choreographed months before. His body quickly caught every beat and lyric and all his moves connected in transition to the next. He could feel how rusty he was, his contractions were less than all he could give and he could have traveled more but he ignored the fact and let his mind go, getting a true feel for the music.

A minute and forty seconds in, the music faded away and got replaced by thousands of cheers. Hyungwon smiled shyly, trying to regulate his breathing as quick as possible as he made his way towards the side again.

"Hold on, all three contestants come out here again." Hyungwon stopped in his tracks, looking up out of habit and making eye-contact with Hoseok before he turned around.

The three stood on stage, the crowd cheering for whoever they liked best. Hyungwon could hear his name as well as Hoseok's alias, Wonho. He guessed that the girl's name was Momo from the other name he heard, she was blowing kisses to her friends then laughed when they pretended to catch it.

Hyungwon peered at Hoseok and made eye-contact again. The two smiled at each other awkwardly before giving their attention to the speaker. "Settle down, settle down," he said.

"Okay, now we all know that all three of these people are talented dancers but only one of them can win the pass to the front of the line, who is it going to be?"

Screams erupted all over the place, shouting random names that got completely nowhere so the host quieted them down again.

"Okay, scream if you think- What's your name?" He turned towards the girl, "Momo?" He was still addressing her, "Oh, if you think Momo deserves the spot make some noise!" Several people screamed and others simply clapped.

"Who thinks - " He got the name, Hoseok used his alias, "Wonho should win?" Cheers filled the air and even Momo screamed. Hyungwon smiled and nodded towards him as they traded places.

"Okay, who thinks Hyungwon should win?" The actor blinked, the host knew who he was? He told himself that it was from the screams earlier and process of elimination. His crowd was the loudest yet and it made him blush, he timidly walked over to the host, thanking him when he got the tickets.

"You never told me you could dance." Minhyuk sat across from him, looking out the bars to his right, Hyungwon was leaning his head on the wall, and looking out the other side but he wasn't really taking anything in.

"I haven't done it in a while," Hyungwon shrugged, the cart came to a stop as more people continued to get on and the air was getting colder, he shuddered and pulled his coat over himself.

"Are you okay? I think we could still scream that we want to get off."

"Why would I try my best in a competition for a ride I didn't like?" Hyungwon didn't sound very convincing but it lead to Minhyuk's next question.

"Then what's wrong?"

"I feel like I've told you all my life problems yet I haven't heard any of yours."

"I promise I'll tell you after you explain why you're all glum."

Hyungwon sighed but turned his head towards Minhyuk, the other was staring at him intensely and he tore his gaze away, suddenly feeling like he was making a big deal out of nothing. Instead of looking into Minhyuk's eyes he watched the ground get farther and farther away.

"You remember the other guy that was chosen?"

"Wonho right?" Hyungwon nodded.

"His real name is Hoseok. I was friends with him a while back..." Hyungwon stared at the crowd of people, scanning for someone, he didn't know who.

"What happened?" Minhyuk shortened the explanation and Hyungwon silently thanked him.

"Cheated. They're still together, I saw them." Hyungwon smiled at the look Hoseok had as he looked at the beautiful girl, her make-up looked natural, her hair had the best curls, and not to mention she was the perfect height for him.

"How long ago?"

"Five years?"

"Kihyun?"

"Yes."

"So why-"

"Because I thought I was over him. Hoseok cheating was my fault, I wasn't giving him enough attention. At that time I would choose Kihyun over him, can't blame him, really." The explanation was getting too long.

"Then why are you so upset about it?" Minhyuk's voice was small like he was afraid Hyungwon would break down.

"Regret, that I didn't go for Kihyun when he's the exact reason I gave up Hoseok. He was great, I wasn't."

Hyungwon frowned when the Ferris wheel completed a whole second turn and they were loading people off. The rest of the ride was spent in silence and he hated it, feeling like he ruined Minhyuk's day with his negativity.

"Look you don't have to-"

"Sh." Minhyuk cut him off and opened the car door for him. Hyungwon stepped in and Minhyuk moved towards the back of the car to get to the driver's seat.

Hyungwon was left sitting in the passenger's seat alone for a long time. The car wasn't even on and the cold crept through the windows.

Minhyuk came back and started up the car without a word, Hyungwon didn't think he was worthy of speaking, or falling asleep. He felt his eyelids threatening to drop the whole way home but he managed to keep them open.

"Hyungwon." Minhyuk finally spoke. He already parked the car and Hyungwon was on his way out. "I grew up with my mom, both my parents actually," Minhyuk's eyes never turned towards him, "they never locked me out of our house and they never left me. I've never been in a foster home and the first time I went to a club was at a legal age." Hyungwon moved back to a normal sitting position.

"My friends only went away to college and we still stay in touch. I don't have a lot of problems in my life but there's this one that I think you could relate to a lot."

Hyungwon waited, feeling something like fear but more anticipation than anything. If Minhyuk never went through any of those things then what would be bothering him?

The only think he could think of was-

"Who?"

"You..."


	6. Endings Make New Beginnings

Three weeks.

It's been three weeks since Minhyuk confessed to Hyungwon and he was starting to think he had dreamt it up.

That night they had stayed in silence for a long time, he remembers that. Minhyuk had been glancing at him from the side but he was fully facing the other.

Minhyuk's eyes never stayed in the same spot longer than as second; Hyungwon, street, lamp post, feet, wheel, street, Hyungwon, lamp post. He licked his lips several times and Hyungwon was wracking his brain for something to say.

Minhyuk finally looked to him and the only thing he could bring out of his throat was a stretched out 'u' sound.

"Save it," Minhyuk had told him, tapping the steering wheel and looking back at the road. "I didn't ask you out, I said I liked you. You like Kihyun, wait no, you love Kihyun and I understand that so I came into this knowing you wouldn't like me back. I only told you because I feel bad for making you spill bad memories since I don't have any I chose something happening to me right now."

The only way Hyungwon responded was stopping himself from making a noise. "Look," Minhyuk started again, "I do like you, but you don't have to worry about it too much. Just get some sleep and I'll see you tomorrow."

He stayed true to his word he woke Hyungwon up the same way he did before. Hyungwon asked for clarification on the previous night, if it really happened, and Minhyuk had told him that it did indeed. Hyungwon didn't want to bring up more on his own and Minhyuk wouldn't bring it up himself.

-

"What's so wrong about it?" Kihyun flipped through wedding magazines. Hyunwoo was visiting his family to personally invite them to the wedding. Kihyun came over to have something to do and once he opened the door Hyungwon wanted his help with how to deal with his problem.

"Don't you think that would kind of ruin the show?" Hyungwon had been going on about it for an hour and the conversation was always brought back to this statement. Kihyun sighed and rolled up the magazine to look at Hyungwon.

"I think that you're making too big of a deal about this." He got up and walked towards the door, "If it bothers you so much, then just talk to him about it like the adult you are." As if he had summoned him, Kihyun opened the door to reveal a confused Minhyuk. Hyungwon swallowed waved nervously. Kihyun rolled his eyes on the way out.

"You are making too big of a deal out of it," were the first words Minhyuk said as he made his way through the closing door.

"I feel bad."

"Because you don't like me back?" Minhyuk stood in front of him, Hyungwon sat immediately, shrinking into the couch at the same time. He nodded timidly and Minhyuk sighed.

"Then I don't like you." He moved away from Hyungwon and there was a surge of fear racing through every fiber of the tall man's body.

"W-what?" He breathed better when he saw Minhyuk moving into the kitchen and followed.

"I don't like you, at least not romantically. Feel better?" Minhyuk was searching through the fridge, he'd brought a few boxes of sushi yesterday but they were gone, courtesy of Kihyun earlier.

"How do I know you're not lying?" Hyungwon challenged, voice still shaken.

"How do you know I wasn't lying the first time I told you?" Minhyuk settled for a glass of Iced Tea and faced Hyungwon with a questioning look while stirring the powder away. Hyungwon stayed silent, clueless as to what he was supposed to feel. In a way, he was relieved, but he felt a sense of loss as well.

Minhyuk sighed again and took a sip of his drink before making a face and adding more powder. "Hyungwon." The other simply blinked.

"In the whole three weeks I've been coming over here," Hyungwon noted that he's been keeping track as well, "I never felt one ounce of awkwardness but I know for a fact you have." He tried it again, "I came over every day because of it." Hyungwon blinked again.

"Were you awkward with me before I confessed?" Hyungwon shook his head silently. "Then you've been making it awkward for yourself. Honestly, I've liked you for a while," he ran his fingers through his hair and took another sip of his Iced Tea, Hyungwon's eyes following the action.

"I've liked you before I auditioned but between then and the time I confessed, you were perfectly normal around me. The only difference is that you know."

Hyungwon stayed silent for the rest of the time Minhyuk took to finish his drink.

"Are you going to ride with me to the set?" His normal demeanor was back and Hyungwon tried to act on what he just said by nodding his head.

"Get ready, I'll clean this." Minhyuk made his way towards the sink and Hyungwon upstairs.

Was it really just him? How long has Minhyuk liked him anyway? He changed into jeans and threw on a shirt, walking back down to see Minhyuk on his phone.

-

"Why don't you ever put your hair up?" Hyungwon asked from the side as Mingyu worked on Minhyuk's hair. Although he was still thinking about how Minhyuk liked him, it would only be fair if he tried to dismiss the awkwardness.

"Have you seen how huge my forehead is?" As if Mingyu's hands were his own, they pushed back the fringe to reveal a fairly deep widow's peak.

"If you watch his last show you'd be able to see his forehead every episode," Mingyu commented. Minhyuk made a face at the revelation of his previous character.

"What was the title of the show anyway?" Hyungwon pulled out his phone to search it up.

"Fangirl, the title of the book it was based on."

"So Jihoon didn't write the script?" Hyungwon waited for the page to load.

"In a way he did but it wasn't entirely his idea." Mingyu fixed Minhyuk's hair back in place and Hyungwon began to scroll.

"It's pretty weird to know that someone's staring at pictures of your forehead," Minhyuk huffed from the black chair. He glared at Mingyu through the mirror whenever they caught eyes but the intern wasn't affected the slightest.

"It looks fine," Hyungwon complimented. Clicking on a photo where Minhyuk's wearing what seemed to be a striped robe, his previous hair color straightened but frayed so that part of his forehead could be seen.

The day before they shot their first episode together Minhyuk was told to bleach his hair to a perfectly white-platinum color, it suited him. "This is a good hairstyle for you,"

Minhyuk took the phone and made a face at his own photo, "This was my third photo shoot? It was for my first show, though, not with Star."

When Hyungwon got his phone back he scrolled to the left to see a black and white picture of Minhyuk in a snapback, looking through the similar pictures he saw another of him sitting inside some sort of restaurant with a black hat on backward, his hair was a dark brown color.

"What's this from?"

Minhyuk took a swift look at the picture and with one glance he already knew what it was. "My old boyfriend took it, he took me to that place, uhh..." he swung his hand around as if he were flipping through restaurant titles. "Oh! Asahan, he took me there then took a picture of my reaction when he told me that the small plate wasn't the only thing I was able to order."

Mingyu finished his work on the white hair, he didn't do much, just made sure there were no strays. "Thanks, Mingyu," he headed out to change and Hyungwon sat in the chair for Mingyu to do his. During the time, he continued to search through the similar photos. There was another one where he was in the same setting, just with a cup covering the lower part of his face instead of his hand covering the entirety of it.

There was another one where he was wearing a beanie and looking down at something to read, there was one where he was wearing a red, plaid shirt and a Santa hat, it reminded him that it was close to Christmas.

"Kihyun will probably have some sort of Christmas party." He mumbled to himself, still looking at pictures of the other, searching for information on the shows he's played in. The young giant behind him smiling but unwilling to comment about the situation.

-

"Awww," Minhyuk whined from his side, they were having technical difficulties so it allowed a break but the reason for Minhyuk's whine was the loss in Hyungwon's phone game.

Hyungwon took his phone back and immediately started the game, he could feel Minhyuk's head on his shoulder, hair tickling his neck, as he tilted his device from side to side in order to dodge the small walls set up in random places. When he had to tilt his phone towards Minhyuk, it was a habit to tilt his head as well and as a result, he pressed slightly on the crown of Minhyuk's head.

It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, but the normality distracted him for a moment, enough to let the small triangle collide with a three-dimensional square.

"How long have you had this game?" Minhyuk snickered from his shoulder.

"It's been a while since I played phone games." Hyungwon defended, shrugging Minhyuk's head off his shoulder so he could get to where Kihyun was calling him.

He raised his brow once he was close enough, "Are you two together now?" Hyungwon blushed and shook his head.

"He just wanted to make sure I would hand the game over to him when I lost."

"You tilted your head on his."

"Did you call me over here to tease me?" Hyungwon glared with no intention of harm. Kihyun laughed and pat his shoulder in a friendly manner before composing himself.

"They can't get the camera's back on so we're moving to the photo shoot area. We have to leave so go tell your boyfriend to get ready so we could go."

"Oh is it a dual shoot?" Hyungwon dismissed the word, knowing Kihyun was just trying to spite him.

"Yes, a very important one at that so get your butts in the dressing room so you could get them in the car." Kihyun was in manager mode, only ever happens when he's worried about something. Hyungwon figured he could ask him while they were in the car.

"How many times have you lost while I was gone?" Hyungwon stood in front of Minhyuk, peering down at his phone screen to see that the other had gotten pretty far.

"Uhh, twice," Minhyuk lied, too distracted by the game to put any effort into getting Hyungwon to believe him.

Being the nice person he was, Hyungwon waited till Minhyuk lost again to take away his phone. "Kihyun says we're taking pictures soon."

"We're getting ready right now? Will Mingyu re-do our makeup?" Minhyuk touched his cheek, smoothing his fingers over the small amount of concealer.

"Kihyun just wanted us to change, I don't know about makeup. Mingyu's just an intern for Star right? Not Ogitto?" They passed by the electricians, thanking them for continuing their hard work.

"It's a backup thing, this happens pretty often because we leave everything running so we could start immediately. You could say that Jihoon knows one of the writers over there. They let us use their setups when they aren't filming." They entered separate stalls and grabbed their clothes from the shelves.

"What do you mean 'you could say'?" Hyungwon slipped his white turtleneck off, flipping his hair to put it back in place.

"They don't talk too much and they only met each other through publicity, they look alike, you know."

"Will I get to see him?"

"Maybe, what's today again?"

"Wednesday?" Hyungwon shoved his head through the appropriate hole in his new shirt so he could check his phone for the information.

"You should be able to see him," Minhyuk's arms could be seen on the other side of the divider as he tried his best to get his shirt on, Hyungwon snickered and exited the room first, heading towards the van.

-

"Have you ever been back to an orphanage after you left?" Minhyuk came over to him as they were dressing out of their clothes. Seungcheol had them wearing normal street clothing, it was for the new episode, they had been sitting back to back. They took pictures where they had to subtly look at each other and there were several single photos taken but they were finally done for the day.

"No, I never had a reason to visit why?" Hyungwon stretched his neck out of habit to make sure all the foundation was off before waiting for Minhyuk by the door.

"Just wondering, one of my friends works there and asked if I wanted to come visit today. I was wondering if you wanted to come with." Minhyuk walked out of the stall, light gray jacket on top of a black shirt and jeans, he pulled on the sides to fix the feeling of the fabric against his neck. "If you don't want to that's fine too."

"I'd have to ask Kihyun.... You know, to see if there's anything else I need to go to."

"Yeah sure, I'll be waiting in my car, text me if you can make it or not." They walked each other out the door then split ways outside the doorway.

Hyungwon was sure he probably didn't have anything but it would keep Kihyun at ease if he was told in person about spontaneous plans.

"Kihyun is there anything else you need me for?"

"Aren't I usually the one asking that question?" Kihyun spun, eyes downcast to make sure he was typing out the correct words. "There shouldn't be anything, but tomorrow we have to be at the studio early so we could catch up with the schedule, why?"

"Minhyuk asked if I wanted to go to an orphanage with him."

"Oh, that sounds fun! I think I'd go to one soon, with Hyunwoo you know?" Hyungwon found himself putting on one of his signature fake smiles, it was harder now than it was before but he managed to keep it on until he finished nodding.

'Where's your car?' He texted his ride, he should have asked before they split. There was a loud blare of a car horn and he snapped his head up and found Minhyuk's arm flailing around the space outside the driver's window.

Looking around just to make sure the disturbance was directed towards him, he made his way over and clambered in.

"Where's the orphanage at?" He watched the cars leave his field of view and his eyes followed the sidewalk trail the whole way, feeling a little awkward again.

"It's like, thirty minutes from here, in the more open area."

"Do you go there often?"

"Hmmmm, if I have enough free time. My friend that works there," he paused long enough for an understanding of who he was talking about, "He's the son of my mom's good friend so we grew up together. I try to help him as much as I can."

Hyungwon let the car fall in silence again, it was hard work to keep a conversation going. He stared out the window, feeling his eyes begin to droop from the constant bumps in the road.

"Hm?" He opened his eyes again, the car stopped and Minhyuk was leaning over, face close to his as he blinked to get to the sleepiness out of his eyes.

"We're here, do you want to go home? You could just rest in the car, I promise it won't take long."

"No I'll go, I'm here anyway." Hyungwon opened the door so he could get a better stretch. It was close to dark out, still small rays of light illuminating the part of the sky closest to land.

"Thank you, when you walk in - you should know how the children are around new people right?" Hyungwon nodded, remembering the times he's spent behind anything that blocked his body from view during visiting hours.

"They should be eating dinner right now, I'll just help Mark with tucking them in bed and then you can sleep yourself."

"Does he run this place by himself?" Hyungwon looked at the large building, there had to be over fifty rooms, it was definitely larger than the one he had been in. To have a single person run the stone building was a miracle.

"No, he has his brother help out and his boyfriend comes more often than not so it's pretty well managed, the kids are sweet too, they listen very well." Minhyuk was smiling up at the trees as he spoke as if he was in a sacred place that flushed all stress from acting away.

The past few days haven't been too stressful but the lights had been acting up for the last two weeks and it caused everyone to stay up and work whenever it happened. Not to mention half their staff would be gone because interns weren't allowed to stay after nine. Jihoon's barking orders left no room for relaxation and even Soonyoung panicked.

"Mark!" Minhyuk entered the doors with his arms wide open, Hyungwon watched him from behind, suddenly feeling intimidated by what could be behind the door.

"Minhyuk! Thanks for coming by! Sorry for canceling." Hyungwon saw another pair of arms cross over Minhyuk's back.

"It's fine, I was pretty busy too, barely made it in time, are they all still eating?" Minhyuk spun the two of them around and Hyungwon was able to get a full view of this Mark person.

He was blond, a similar color to Minhyuk's old one before he dyed it, his teeth were perfectly set and his smile was just as contagious as Minhyuk's. Their eyes caught each other and Mark signaled Minhyuk's attention.

When the second, more familiar blond, came back into view he was surrounded by several children either chewing something in their mouth while clinging to him or trying to climb onto his body. With what he could he made a beckoning move and Hyungwon stepped closer.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Mark."

"I'm Hyungwon, Minhyuk's friend, I hope I'm not intruding or anything." He took the hand and looked to Minhyuk for advice but Mark's laugh already reassured him.

"It's fine, I could always use some extra help, why don't we go in? You guys have to finish eating right?" He directed the question towards the kids surrounding them, they quickly rushed back inside to finish so they could spend more time with Minhyuk before they had to go to bed.

"You don't mind, do you? I'm sorry to be putting you to work like this." Mark lead them down the same path the children took. At the end of the hall was a brightly lit dining room filled with children of different ages.

Hyungwon scanned the area, remembering how it felt to be in their position, the sound was familiar and the smell of the food was the same. It brought a smile to his face and he remembered his mother.

"I don't mind, I'd be glad to actually."

"Since they're still eating we might as well introduce you to everyone." They went around the tables. Some of the kids were very excited and some others were shy at first. Hyungwon understood them, it was scary to get attached to someone when you know there's a chance you're going to be leaving.

"When you finish eating get ready for bed, Minhyuk will read you a bedtime story."

"Awww can't we stay up a little longer?" One girl called, jumping up from the table to cling onto his leg. She looked up at him with a pout and he copied her expression while ruffling her hair.

"Yeah Mark, can't they stay up a little longer?" Minhyuk turned toward his friend, he crouched down to match the height of the little girl, hugging her close as they both gave Mark a pouty face.

Hyungwon found himself shrugging as Mark looked to him for his opinion.

"Fine, you can all watch one movie. Minhyuk you know the rules." The male stood and gave a salute before pointing in the general direction of another room and marched off with the rest of the children. Hyungwon chuckled, watching them all leave in unison.

"Did you want to go with them?" Mark began gathering all the bowls from the meals, Hyungwon shook his head and began with the other table.

"I wouldn't know what to do, I'm pretty sure Minhyuk's got them handled, they seem to listen to him a lot." Hyungwon heard a peculiar noise and gratefully took the rolling trashcan Mark took out "Should I put the extra soup somewhere or?"

"Nah, just toss it all." Mark waved his hand, taking a cloth and wiping the tables that Hyungwon cleaned off. They were left in silence and Hyungwon got an internal monolog going for the question he was about to ask.

"Minhyuk said you had a brother?" Mark stood up straight and Hyungwon thought he had triggered some unwanted memories.

"Sorry if-"

Mark's laugh cut him off.

"Minhyuk didn't tell you? He's my brother." Hyungwon furrowed his brows, Minhyuk said he was never adopted. "Not biologically but legally we are brothers. His mom adopted me after my mom left. He took her absence harder than I did actually."

"You didn't like your mom?" Hyungwon finished throwing away the last of the bowls and cups then waited for Mark to finish wiping the table.

"I did, I just wasn't an open child, never really got close to her. It hurt when she left and of course I cried but Minhyuk was close to both of us and it hurt him to see me like that and her gone. He's a nice guy, understands you know?"

Hyungwon found himself nodding at the statement. "Though it's annoying how he could prod into things so easily." Mark laughed in agreement.

"He's always been able to tell when people are lying, which is probably why he's such a great actor. He knows what people look for."

"Why did he start acting anyway?" Hyungwon watched Mark tie the ends of the plastic bag together and followed him out to the large dumpster outside.

"When he was little he watched a bunch of movies and he would reenact scenes. I guess it was because of that, something about becoming a different person. You're his costar right? What made you start to act?"

The first thought that came to his mind was Kihyun, it was Kihyun's dream. He couldn't tell Mark that, though. "I like pretending," his lame answer came.

"Weird," Mark said before letting Hyungwon back inside the orphanage first.

"What?"

"You said pretending." Mark lead them towards the playroom where Minhyuk and the children were huddled together in front of a television watching Coraline, Mark made a face at the choice. "I hate this movie."

Minhyuk must have had some superhuman hearing because he flipped Mark off from behind the heads of the children. Hyungwon snickered at the anger in Mark's face. As they made their way over to the couch, something - or rather someone, caught his attention.

A boy sat in the corner, playing with a small doll, moving it's arms and legs, in a way that made it dance. He gave a quick glance to the other two adults before heading over.

As he approached the little boy looked up with fear in his eyes, probably from Hyungwon's height and the lighting of the room. He quickly crouched down and faced the boy with a smile on his face.

"Hello, what are you doing here all alone?" The boy reminded him of himself.

"I don't like." The boy said, turning away from Hyungwon before continuing to play with his doll. Hyungwon bit the inside of his cheek.

"What don't you like?" He tried again, still from behind the boy there wasn't an answer but Hyungwon could guess.

"You don't like the movie?" He moved closer to look over the kid's shoulder, he could see the small movement of a nod.

"Who's this?" He asked, moving his hand to point towards the doll. The boy instantly seemed to light up and Hyungwon was thankful the trip over didn't go to waste.

"It's Michael Jackson!" The boy whisper screamed but it wasn't so quiet, Hyungwon looked over to the movie watchers Mark was picking up the already sleeping children and bringing them towards the bedroom, Minhyuk waving them off as they woke up from the slight movement.

"Wow~ can you teach me?" Hyungwon gaped at the small boy as he stood to strike a pose. The boy nodded excitedly, picking up the doll again and grabbing Hyungwon's hand to bring him into a wider part of the hallway.

A few minutes passed and Minhyuk found the two still dancing, but Hyungwon was teaching the little boy, he watched them for a few moments and clapped when the boy got the move right. At the sudden sound, the two jumped and stared at Minhyuk.

"Hello~" Minhyuk smiled, crouching down to meet the boy at eye level. "I don't think we've met before, I'm Minhyuk what's your name?" He was holding his hand out and Hyungwon noticed that he never really asked that question.

"Chan!" The boy exclaimed excitedly, his eyes were drooping and he was panting from his effort and Minhyuk decided that he better obey Mark's orders before they got in trouble.

"Well, Chan," Minhyuk took the boy's hand in his and began walking in the direction of the bathroom, "Headmaster Mark wants you off to bed, everyone's already sleeping."

The small boy dug his heels into the wooden floor and resisted Minhyuk's pull, Hyungwon laughed when the two stumbled back. "No." The boy said immediately.

"No? Why not? Aren't you tired? Big boys need sleep you kn-" Minhyuk immediately stopped what he was saying and crouched down to soothe the boy, he was starting to tear up. Hyungwon crouched as well but towards the side of the wall.

"W-when I wake up y-you'll be gone." The boy wiped his eyes and Hyungwon pressed his lips together in understanding. He moved a little closer but still not close enough to touch.

"I promise we'll come back," Minhyuk drew soothing circles on the boy's back in an attempt to calm him down but Hyungwon himself winced at the statement and the boy began to cry. "Mark will still be here!" Minhyuk hugged the poor boy to his chest to quiet the sobs.

"N-huh-Nnn-uhhh" The boy sobbed, Minhyuk looked to Hyungwon for advice and Hyungwon bit his lip, slowly moving closer.

"Hey, Chan," Hyungwon called, touching the boy's shoulder lightly to get his attention. Minhyuk let go just enough so that he could turn around to face Hyungwon.

He wiped the hot tears away then pulled his hand back to take a bracelet off. "I'll make you a promise." Chan was able to stop the sobs from coming out of his mouth but he was still hiccuping from the tears.

"This is a very special bracelet to me, it was given to me by my mom. I used to be an orphan too you know. She gave me this before I left." He looked up at Minhyuk for a moment before returning his eyes to the shaking boy.

"I promise on the bracelet that we'll come back okay? But until then you have to make sure you take extra good care of it. Will you do that for me?" He put the worn-out patterned string in the hands of the younger then tilted his head up to create eye contact.

"I promise we'll come back, but you have to take care of it, is that a deal?" Chan nodded slowly, looking down at the accessory. Hyungwon stood again and held out his hand for holding. Minhyuk helped Chan slip on Hyungwon's gift before taking his other hand.

"I'm sorry," Mark stated as he closed the door to the kids' room.

"It's fine, I understand. When did he get here?" Hyungwon asked as they made their way towards the exit.

"A few weeks ago, he wouldn't leave my side for the entire first week but I can't blame him."

"I was the same, except I was clingy for a much longer time." Hyungwon found himself saying.

"Oh, you were adopted too?" Mark held the door open for them, letting the cool night breeze in.

"A few times actually," Hyungwon put on a smile so Mark wouldn't feel bad for asking, he still received an apology, "Don't be, it wasn't your fault after all. Thanks for letting me come here, by the way."

"No problem, oh, actually, there's something I need to ask you." He leaned into Hyungwon's ear and whispered something. Minhyuk tried to lean in to hear but Mark pushed him away.

"What-" Hyungwon felt a blush creep onto his face and he immediately shook his head. Mark showed his perfect teeth and nodded sending them out then shutting the door after quickly telling Hyungwon a simple, "You will."

"What did he say?" Minhyuk raised his eyebrow. Hyungwon shook his head, lips pressed together tightly. "Was it about me?" Hyungwon avoided his eyes and shook his head.

"Have I told you that you're a really bad liar? Because you are, but you'll come around." Hyungwon remembered the words Mark spoke when they were cleaning the tables but didn't try to fight Minhyuk back on the statement.

"So what's this about your mother?" Minhyuk asked once they were in the car again.

"She was the head of my last orphanage, she's the closest one I felt a connection to, she let me do a lot of things like dancing and getting away with illegal forms... She was nice."

"Do you miss her?" The question was supposed to be light but there was a bittersweet feeling to the way Hyungwon said yes.

-

"Do you think you're any different from any of them?" Hyungwon stood, white-clothed arms crossed and face waiting for a reply.

"Yes, actually, I did," Minhyuk was standing across from him, hands clenched into fists at his sides. His eye twitched when Hyungwon scoffed.

"Of course you did," he mumbled underneath his breath.

"Hyungwon," Minhyuk's voice broke and Hyungwon swallowed the lump in his throat.

"I can't do anything." Hyungwon shrugged, still keeping his straight face.

"Have you even tried?" Minhyuk was trying to keep his voice calm but the raw emotion coming out of them was enough for Hyungwon to sigh.

"I can't." Was all he said before Minhyuk was on him, hand gripping the fabric of his shirt and fist up in the air. Hyungwon closed his eyes at the awaiting impact but it never came.

His face relaxed and his eyes opened to see Minhyuk tilting his head towards the ground, the hand gripping his shirt shook until Minhyuk took a single breath.

"If you can't, then I will," then he suddenly leaned in to make it look like they were kissing. Hyungwon's eyes widened and he pulled back but Minhyuk's hand wouldn't let him. He pushed at Minhyuk's chest before finally giving up and closing his eyes tightly, tears coming towards his eyes.

"And cut!" Jihoon's voice alarmed and the two moved away from each other. Hyungwon tried to hide his ears and avoid Minhyuk's apologetic look. He wiped the fake tears from his eyes, careful of the makeup just in case they had to shoot again.

"That's a wrap!" Soonyoung came running through the sound booth, hands flailing as he ran up towards the two to give them a hug.

"That's exactly how I imagined it!" Soonyoung's grin moved throughout the room in relief. It was the first season finale. They began shooting at six in the morning and hadn't ended till eight at night. It was finally time for a break, it was a month of free activities and Hyungwon would like to spend it sleeping but the blond person looking at him worriedly most likely won't let him.

"Are you going to be awkward again?" It's been a week since they spoke about it and Hyungwon honestly never got rid of his nerves but Minhyuk wouldn't leave him alone.

"It's still awkward honestly." Hyungwon scratched his neck, "But I won't try to ignore you, it's not like you'd let me." He shrugged, looking around for Kihyun.

He was in the corner talking to Hyunwoo, they were smiling over something in a magazine and he pressed his lips together. Minhyuk moved into his field of vision not long after and he smiled at the effort.

"Do you wanna go out to celebrate?" Minhyuk rose his brows.

"Celebrate the shoot today? Just us?" Hyungwon shot a look towards Kihyun but never set eyes on the elder.

"You're being awkward again," Minhyuk deadpanned.

"I'm an awkward person in general," Hyungwon admitted.

"Hyungwon."

"Okay, okay, I'm paying?"

"Please no."

Hyungwon laughed at Minhyuk's plea, his face was horrified like getting paid for was the worst thing that could happen to him. "Why don't you like when I pay for you?"

"I've always been told to treat those I invite."

"So if I invited you to dinner you would be okay with me paying?"

"I'd be better at handling the fact that you're paying for me," Minhyuk corrected.

"Fine, you can pay again, but I'm taking advantage of it."

"Oh, like you did last time?" Minhyuk faked his fear of the occasion before rolling his eyes and leading Hyungwon to where his car was.

-

It was a nice place, a little different from what Hyungwon was used to but there were dim lights and tables framing the sides. The music was upbeat but not very loud, Hyungwon guessed that there was a club on the second floor. He saw a few people come out of a hallway to grab drinks or even pay for a key, he threw a look to Minhyuk who just wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Woah, ho, ho! Look who came in! Minhyuk! Haven't seen you in forever-" The person behind the counter was in a proper white button-up rolled to his elbows and a gray vest on top. He didn't wear a tie, which added to the theme of 'just short of fancy'. Hyungwon only noticed the man staring at him when he got a look at his face.

He looked around for anyone else the bartender could be looking at but there was no one behind him and it obviously wasn't Minhyuk.

"I can't believe," he started, Hyungwon looked to Minhyuk and the white-haired boy just smiled cheekily and diverted his attention towards the still gaping worker.

"Minhyuk you actually brought him here?" His eyes continuously moved between the two actors but they stayed on Hyungwon longer than they did Minhyuk.

"Yep, I might have a big favor to ask of you in the future, you never know. Plus all the places this guy goes to are for the fancy." Minhyuk dragged Hyungwon over to the empty stools and sat them down. Minhyuk's friend was still getting over his initial shock but had enough conscious to tease.

"Yeah, a place like that definitely isn't for Lee Minhyuk." There was a small nod as he tried to tear his eyes away from Hyungwon but it's like Hyungwon was a magnet.

Hyungwon instinctively shied away, blushing and looking down at his knees, he peeked up every once in a while to see if he was still being watched and sure enough, the pair of eyes were still looking down at him.

Minhyuk snapped his fingers to draw the attention of both his friends to introduce them.

"Hyungwon, this is Yujin, we've been best friends since five and he's a really big fan. Yujin... you already know who this is."

"Hi! I'm Yujin like Minhyuk said. I saw your first movie, You Call It Romance, and then I went back to watch you as a backup dancer, and I've been following ever since."

Hyungwon flushed, unable to keep his smile from forming. "Thank you," he said softly and he tried to find something else to say but his mind was drawing blank, he looked to Minhyuk for help and the elder rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, we just finished filming the first season and everyone else is busy so I brought him here because- well, just because."

"Did you guys kiss in the last episode?" Hyungwon's eyes widened and he turned red, "Did you really?" Yujin was all excitement and Minhyuk shut it down before Hyungwon passed out from embarrassment.

"We didn't."

"Then why is he so-"

"He's an awkward boy." Minhyuk interrupted, Hyungwon shoved him hard despite how true the statement was.

"He's a lot skinnier in real life." Hyungwon hid his face in his arms as they continued to talk about him as if he wasn't there.

"I know. He's a good dancer, though."

"Take a video of it sometime?"

"I have one already. Remember when you refused to go to the fair with me?"

"I have work, Minhyuk." Yujin's voice resembled a sigh and Hyungwon thought of getting up to leave. He made a move but Minhyuk's hand landed on his arm and refused to let him go. He let out a small whining noise and heard a laugh.

"Cute." Hyungwon mumbled a short 'shut up' to whoever commented and focused on Minhyuk's hand on his arm to get rid of the embarrassing feeling.

"Is he always like this?"

"When he's praised, yes." Minhyuk was finally able to get the video to play with one hand and all Hyungwon could hear was the sound of several screams. He remembered Hoseok and focused on Minhyuk's hand again.

"And that was a freestyle?" Hyungwon nodded from his arms, Minhyuk's hand moved away for a second to come up and ruffle his hair.

"The kid's got talent," Minhyuk commented.

"I'm not even that much younger than you," Hyungwon mumbled from the fold of his arms, only having to repeat it because the two couldn't decipher the right words.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you're mentally older than Minhyuk by at least ten years." The joke managed to change the focus from Hyungwon to Minhyuk and the youngest felt better. "How about you finally eat something, here's the menu" He reached underneath the bar and pulled out two laminated sheets for the couple.

Minhyuk didn't even look at the menu, simply handed it back to his friend ordering pizza with sweet potato on top, Hyungwon found it a bit odd but Yujin seemed expecting.

"Uhh..." he said under the gaze of the two.

"You know, for an actor, you really hate attention," Yujin commented from the side.

"I'm told what to say and do." Hyungwon mindlessly scanned the words, unable to process anything.

"What about that freestyle?"

"Dancing is different, I'm confident in that, what's this?" He spoke quickly and pointed to a picture of a burger.

"Katsu Burger, one fried, or baked, pork cutlet with teriyaki or traditional sauce."

"Okay, I'll just have this then. Fried and traditional please." Hyungwon handed him back the menu but Minhyuk made a noise of disproval.

"You're not getting a drink? We just finished filming."

"Oh yeah, and water," Hyungwon said to Yujin.

"That's not what I meant."

"You're not drinking," Hyungwon stated.

"I'm driving."

"I don't really drink."

"Then just do it this one time."

"Minhyuk." Hyungwon pleaded.

Minhyuk made a face but let it go, turning his attention to something on his phone.

"He's a really big fan?" Hyungwon tried to get Minhyuk to stop pouting at his phone screen.

"Yeah, his girlfriend gets jealous every Thursday when there's a new episode because it's Yujin's only day off and he would rather watch us acting then go on a date."

"I should give him an autograph then."

"There's no need," Minhyuk said idly, typing something out before setting his phone down.

"What do you mean?"

"What- Oh shit," it was Minhyuk's turn to become red.

"What?" Hyungwon furrowed his brows, trying to get back into Minhyuk's field of vision.

"Remember when I said Yujin owes me?" It was a hesitant question and Hyungwon nodded. "Remember way," he stretched the adverb, "back when there was a fan outside of your apartment building?"

"No?" Hyungwon thought deeply about the event but nothing came up.

"You don't? Oh never mind then." Minhyuk waved off his previous words.

"Minhyuk." They stared at each other for a while before Minhyuk sighed and deflated in his seat.

"You were sitting outside your apartment building, I'd say around the time you figured out you got the part for Star, and a fan came up to you for an autograph, they were wearing sunglasses and said they had a sensitivity to light. You asked me about the fan Hyungwon. Back at Kihyun's party, you know, when you told me you liked him."

Memories clicked in Hyungwon's brain and he finally realized, "Oh." He nodded as he momentarily relived the day, "Why didn't you want me finding out?"

"Wait so you're not going to ask me about how I knew about your address before- damn it Minhyuk stop talking." The older male slapped his own cheek and closed his eyes, waiting for Hyungwon's question.

"You asked Soonyoung," Hyungwon answered himself, "That part's pretty self-explanatory. Soonyoung would probably give my home address a murderer as long as he knew him but how did you know I was a part of Star when I had only been cast that day?"

"I originally went to audition for that part and they told me I didn't get it later that night and so I thought I would meet you in the morning to see what you were like."

"Why use Yujin's name?"

"He's a bigger fan of you than I am."

"And here I thought you liked me," Hyungwon teased. Although he knew it was a joke, Minhyuk felt the need to explain himself.

"There's a difference between admiring someone's acting skills and admiring someone for who they are. Plus that was before I started to get feelings for you."

"That was incredibly cheesy," Hyungwon laughed, and Minhyuk shoved him slightly.

"Whatever. Oh, can I ask you something?"

"Just did but ask another one," Hyungwon smirked when Minhyuk rolled his eyes with a grin.

"Why are all your acting roles the same?"

The question stirred a feeling inside of Hyungwon, he never thought someone would notice. The statement was true but the answer wasn't something Hyungwon wanted to say out loud. He chose to divert it.

"What do you mean?" Hyungwon pressed his lips together after asking the question, this isn't where he expected the conversation to go.

"Every character you've played has the same personality, distant, cold, and always the heartbreaker." Minhyuk rested his cheek on his palm and elbow on the counter as he watched Hyungwon for any lies.

"I don't know? It's just a coincidence."

Minhyuk gave him a disbelieving look and he tilted his head down.

"It was worth a shot. Speaking of," he saw Yujin walking towards them with plates in his hands and waited till he set them down before continuing. "I change my mind about earlier, can I have some Vodka please?"

"Uh, yeah?" Yujin headed off to get the request and Minhyuk furrowed his brows as he watched Hyungwon stuff the burger into his mouth to avoid conversation.

Just when he thought things were going great a single question threw him so far off track that he couldn't find it anymore. It reminded him of what he was doing and who he was doing it for.

Minhyuk took a bite of his pizza to give Hyungwon the silence he wanted but warned him when he drank straight from the bottle Yujin came back with.

"Hyungwon are you okay?" The sudden shift in the mood left a bad feeling in Minhyuk's stomach and he felt slight regret for forcing the question onto the other male.

"Dandy," Hyungwon replied in a sing-song voice and took another bite of his burger. Minhyuk took the bottle away when Hyungwon wasn't paying attention, biting his lip when he noticed the bottle was only half full.

Hyungwon started off his career because it was Kihyun's dream to work with the people at Star. In order for that to happen, Hyungwon needed to be good at the role he was playing.

He doesn't become someone new, he doesn't act. He's himself in all the movies and shows he's been in, just simply pretending it's a different person.

Hyungwon wouldn't be interested in someone else, he's interested in Kihyun. Hyungwon would blow someone off because he wants to go out with Kihyun. Hyungwon would ignore someone because Kihyun didn't like them. Hyungwon would tag along on a blind double date he wasn't interested in because Kihyun wanted him to.

With every role he played, he would pretend Kihyun was another and said the words that were supposed to be said. If he pretended all his costars were people actually in love with him, he was able to reject them because he was in love with Kihyun. In all truth, Hyungwon was a shit actor and the only way he was able to make it thus far was because of Kihyun.

And that same man would get married around January of next year.

"I think you should drink some water." Minhyuk pushed the beverage closer to the tipsy brunet.

"Yeah, water would be good wouldn't it." Hyungwon took the glass and brought it to his lips but with a single taste he made a face and shook his head. He placed the cup down and reached for the bottle Minhyuk failed to hide. "Hey, I'm paying for that."

"No, you're not, my treat remember?" Minhyuk reached his arm as far out behind him he was able to reach which resulted in Hyungwon climbing on top of him in attempts to get it, he felt horrible and all he wanted was something to make it all go away.

"Minhyukie~" Hyungwon cooed in a pleading manner, looking up at Minhyuk with a pout, "Water tastes bad. I want that." His chin was on Minhyuk's chest and he brought his arms around Minhyuk's torso to pull him in tight, he wasn't even trying to get the drink anymore.

Setting the alcoholic beverage down as far as he could reach he finally brought his two hands to Hyungwon's shoulders to push him off. "You're worse than me." He muttered under his breath.

"What?" Hyungwon blinked and tried to figure out what Minhyuk had said.

"Nothing, if you eat I'll give you the bottle back." The offer got Hyungwon off of him but he didn't eat. Minhyuk stared at the back of Yujin's head to catch his attention but the other wasn't turning around. "Hyungwon, if you don't eat you won't get the drink back." He felt like he was a mother trying to get their child to finish their vegetables.

"I ate already, see it's gone." Hyungwon pointed to the plate and Minhyuk could laugh at the action if he weren't so worried.

Ever since Hyungwon took the drink, his expression turned into something of fear and sadness. Hyungwon's resting face consisted of a natural pout but this one reached his eyes, Minhyuk only ever saw the emotion when Hyungwon was acting but they weren't around any cameras.

"Take one more bite Hyungwon." Minhyuk made eye contact with his best friend as Hyungwon continued to stare at his plate and he beckoned the worker over.

"Is there something wrong with the food?" Yujin's face held that of concern.

"I ate some right?" Hyungwon asked, looking up at his fan, pointing to the burger.

"Well, I mean, it certainly looks like you ate some of it." He looked to Minhyuk for an explanation but the blond pointed towards the bottle behind him. 'Take it' he mouthed.

Nodding, Yujin casually made his way over to where the bottle was and slipped it under the bar before walking back to Hyungwon, the whole time Minhyuk feared Hyungwon would see and begin complaining. 'Drunk?' he mouthed to Minhyuk.

'Tipsy.' Minhyuk responded. "I think that we're full," He looked at his own plate and only one slice was gone but Hyungwon's expression was getting darker. "We'll get them to go." He nodded to his best friend to tell him that he should make it quick and he pulled out his credit card for Yujin to take.

With another glance to Hyungwon he held his card to keep Yujin for a while longer, "Keep it, for now, I think he's about to break down and I should take him home before he becomes a mess. Sorry for making this so hard on you, thanks for the food but you don't need to get boxes or anything anymore. Eat it if you want." His best friend nodded before leaving with his card.

"Come on Hyungwon, let's go home. Sleep sounds nice right?"

"I like sleeping," Hyungwon managed to get out. Minhyuk smiled and stood from his stool.

"That's good!" Minhyuk praised, trying to keep Hyungwon's forming tears at bay until they got out of the building. "Can you stand?" Hyungwon shook his head. Minhyuk grabbed Hyungwon's arm and wrapped it around his neck. "Is this okay? Let's walk together, alright?"

Minhyuk had no idea what Hyungwon was thinking of but it couldn't have been something happy and he knew that the question he asked had to do with it. He felt horrible and even worse when Hyungwon tried to keep the tears in.

Minhyuk bit his lip and tried his best to get them both to a bench, a few steps closer and Hyungwon tripped over his own feet, weighing down on a struggling Minhyuk. He mentally cursed but willed himself to continue.

"Hyungwon c'mon, work with me here. If we get to the bench, you could ride on my back and we could go home to sleep."

There was a sniffling coming from the younger and Minhyuk tried to ignore it. When he finally got Hyungwon on his back the tall man clung to him like a koala. He could feel something wet seep into the cloth around his shoulder but he didn't comment, giving Hyungwon silence again.

All Hyungwon could think about was how many people had left him. His biological parents didn't want him, the two that did are dead, he made Hoseok leave, and Kihyun's getting married to Hyunwoo.

Kihyun's getting married. His lip quivered and his eyes stung, he couldn't brush the tears away quick enough. He thought that people couldn't leave if you followed them but Hyungwon couldn't follow Kihyun into marrying Hyunwoo, he was going to be left alone again.

He tried to think of happier things, things that didn't involve Kihyun but what was something in his life that didn't involve the small male?

Minhyuk.

Minhyuk was opposite to Kihyun in many ways. First of all, there was the hair, the whole time Hyungwon had known Minhyuk, his hair was brightly dyed Kihyun's only ever changed it to a lighter brown. Another difference was their personality, Minhyuk is bright and everything they did together was spontaneous, Kihyun always had to schedule something before they actually went to do it. Kihyun was a better singer than Minhyuk by a longshot but it was charming when Minhyuk tried.

Thinking back to the time Minhyuk brought him to a karaoke place brought a small smile.

They smelled different, Minhyuk had a more masculine and earthy smell and Kihyun had one that was sweeter. Their favorite foods differed in a variety of ways, Kihyun ate everything candy-like but Minhyuk preferred bread-related foods like pizza. Minhyuk was well-built, Hyungwon remembered the time he accidently walked in on the other changing. Minhyuk liked to take things as they come, never complaining yet Kihyun's always nagging him about how dirty his house was.

The biggest difference was that Minhyuk liked Hyungwon. Sure Kihyun cared for the other, they were best friends, but he didn't see Hyungwon the way he saw Hyunwoo. The horrible feeling came back to his stomach when he realized just how much Minhyuk must be hurting right now.

Hyungwon thought of the reason as to why Minhyuk liked him, they haven't known each other for that long, a little less than half a year and Minhyuk fell for him. He has never done anything for the other, simply showed up to work and answered his questions.

Hyungwon never did anything yet the other was treating him the same way he would treat Kihyun. He accepted the fact his feelings wouldn't be returned and he continued to help Hyungwon when he felt down about Kihyun.

Hyungwon remembered the times Kihyun would cry to him about how oblivious Hyunwoo was when Hyunwoo got a girlfriend when Hyunwoo would ask Kihyun for advice about his girlfriend. Hyungwon remembered how hard it was to keep his feelings at bay for Kihyun to be happy.

Minhyuk didn't deserve to be treated like that.

Hyungwon didn't deserve Minhyuk's feelings. The tears began to fall again and it was harder to keep in this time. He moved around while holding his breath, a silent plea to put him down but Minhyuk wouldn't let go. He simply adjusted his hold on Hyungwon and finished the trip to his car.

The whole ride back, Hyungwon kept his face hidden, staring out the window and cupping a pool of tears in his palm. Thoughts about both Kihyun and Minhyuk raced through his mind, colliding with each other and creating so many tears that Hyungwon didn't even bother to wipe them away. His heart was heavy and he needed something to make it go away.

He needed to be alone but when they were at his opened apartment door and Minhyuk made his way out after helping him get ready for bed Hyungwon knew he wouldn't forgive himself in the morning.

"Minhyuk..." He called softly, "Can you..." He couldn't finish the sentence. He hated himself even more when Minhyuk answered.

"Okay." He moved towards the bathroom to get ready himself and Hyungwon let out a single sob when he was alone. He knew what he was doing, he knew he was taking advantage of Minhyuk, he knew Minhyuk didn't deserve the torture but he wanted the feelings to go away. He wanted - no, needed a distraction.

They were laying in Hyungwon's bed, the dried tear stains on his cheeks were gone over with a new layer of moisture as he hugged Minhyuk closer to him and hid his face away in his chest. The other said nothing.

Minhyuk had no idea why Hyungwon was crying but he knew the kind of trouble he was getting himself into. Hyungwon still liked Kihyun and if that's the reason for his tears then Minhyuk shouldn't be where he was, wrapped in Hyungwon's embrace with his one of his hands drawing small patterns on Hyungwon's back and the other playing with his hair.

"Minhyuk?" The owner of the voice moved back so they could make eye contact.

"Yes?" He answered softly, tucking some of Hyungwon's hair behind his ear and pushing the strands covering his forehead back.

"I'm sorry."

Minhyuk wasn't sure what Hyungwon was sorry for but he was sure it was something forgivable.

"It's okay." He was able to smile easily, to put whatever Hyungwon was worrying about aside, and truly mean those words at that moment because there was a small spark of happiness in Hyungwon's eyes.

It was the tiniest spark Minhyuk had ever seen but it was there.

It was enough for Minhyuk to believe that he would always forgive Hyungwon.

Because he caused the spark.

And that spark of happiness made a spark of hope ignite in Minhyuk's chest.

Hope that one day Hyungwon would be able to return his feelings, even just a bit.

And that was enough for Minhyuk's like to be turned into love.


	7. Now What?

Hyungwon woke up with two weights on his chest, one physical and one emotional.

The physical one wasn't so bad, it was warm and provided comfort, the hair was soft and Hyungwon began to play with it when he noticed it wouldn't disturb the other's sleep. The strands easily slipped through his fingers which made him want to ruffle it more. Suddenly, Mingyu's job seemed a lot more appealing. His eyes followed down the rest of the man's body, he could feel the arm underneath his back and there were lumps in the sheets for Minhyuk's legs.

His own leg was bent sideways and the one closest to the other was straightened. His arms were free but if he moved his chest even the slightest it would probably wake Minhyuk from slumber.

The emotional weight had gotten lighter as he played with Minhyuk's hair, being distracted and all, but remembering how he had acted last night caused the pause in his ministrations and a tug at his chest, weighing him down further into the mattress.

He was confused.

Did he like Minhyuk? Did he really like Minhyuk? Are his feelings simply because Kihyun won't be there anymore or does he truly want Minhyuk to be with him? Was he just using Minhyuk?

He knew he cared about Minhyuk, he knew he cared about the other a lot but he didn't know in what way.

He cared about Hyunwoo, he's the person that keeps Kihyun happy and Hyungwon could trust him with that duty no matter how much it hurt.

He cared about Jihoon, Soonyoung, and Seungcheol. They gave him a job and made sure he was doing alright, they were making sure to pay him and avoid overworking as much as possible.

He cared about Kihyun, he cared so much that if he was asked to kill himself for Kihyun's safety he would agree in a heartbeat. Would he do the same for Minhyuk?

Was he just feeling an attraction because Minhyuk feels one? Is he taking pity on Minhyuk's feelings towards him?

He was scared.

He was scared to tell Minhyuk about his thoughts. He was scared of raising the other's expectations only to crush them if he realizes he only used Minhyuk as a rebound.

He was scared of ruining their friendship with his own feelings, if he did have feelings for Minhyuk he was sure he still had feelings for Kihyun he was afraid of them getting in the way of his relationship.

He was scared of treating Minhyuk the same way he treated Hoseok.

He was scared that Minhyuk's feelings changed.

What if Minhyuk didn't like him anymore? What if he realized just how in love Hyungwon was with Kihyun and gave up deciding to move on just as Hyungwon came to accept his feelings for the other?

He was terrified of hurting Minhyuk.

The other had done nothing but good things to him, listened to his sob stories and stayed with him when they were too much.

He covered his eyes with his forearm, trying to block out the world and ignore the weight on and inside his chest. He could feel guilty tears make their way towards his eyes again and decided it would be best if he got away for a while before Minhyuk woke up to him breaking down.

He tried his best to slide out of the bed without Minhyuk waking up but every time he tried to move Minhyuk's arms would tighten around his torso and trap him even more. Giving up, he huffed and stared at the ceiling while willing the tears away, thoughts clouding within him as silence took over.

He ended up dozing off again, waking up alone and cold. The blankets were pushed towards the end of the bed and he heard the faint sound of his toilet flushing, Minhyuk was still there? He palmed his bed for his phone, time telling him that he had slept through most of the day.

Looking up from his phone again he saw Minhyuk walking back down the hall towards his room. He put the device away and awkwardly waited for the other to open his door but it never happened. He could see Minhyuk's hair disappear down the stairs and realized that the other was probably going home.

Sulkily, he retreated into the sheets to think about what Minhyuk must be thinking. He couldn't blame the other for hating him or never wanting to talk to him again, Hyungwon hurt him. He really shouldn't have asked him to stay - "Shit!" There was a loud curse from the room below followed by the loud sound of something metal hitting the floor and Hyungwon was running down without a second to spare.

"Minhyuk are you-" Hyungwon stayed in place, breathing rapidly from the trip down the stairs, his hand was still gripping the rail as he tried to make sense of the scene in front of him.

Minhyuk was on the floor, holding the handle to one pan and seemingly trying to catch others as his other hand was held out in front of him. Like a deer caught in headlights, they stared at each other until yet another pan fell from the opening, causing an amused smile to form on Hyungwon's face and a sigh to escape Minhyuk's.

"I was trying to make... What would you call the first meal of the day but you have it at the end of the day?" He brought the only safe pan up to swing it around. Hyungwon shrugged and made his way over to help put the pans away.

"No wonder they all fell out you just shove them in like that," Minhyuk commented as he helped, reordering everything so they would be stable.

"I don't even remember the last time these were used, to be honest. I think it was a year or two?" They closed the cabinet and Hyungwon watched Minhyuk make his way over to the stove, "And I wasn't even the one cooking."

"I can't cook that great, you have eggs and that's what I'm making." He successfully got the stove to turn on and Hyungwon moved to the stool across the island so he wouldn't get in Minhyuk's way.

"You didn't make rice?" Hyungwon teased,

"Do you even have a rice cooker? I saw bread and thought I could just use that."

"Bread and egg?" Hyungwon made a face as Minhyuk cracked an egg with one hand.

"Tastes better than you think." Minhyuk cracked the rest of them, "Where's the forks?" He slushed the yolks around in the bowl. When Hyungwon pointed to the drawer it took him a few trials to get it right and Hyungwon chuckled.

"I swear you pointed to the first one I opened."

Hyungwon waved him off and listened to the sound of frying egg while scrolling through the messages Kihyun left him on his phone.

'Where did you go?'

'Hyungwon where are you?'

'Hyungwon Hyunwoo and I are waiting and starving. Where did you go?'

'If you aren't at the car in three minutes we're leaving without you.'

'We're leaving now.'

'Why didn't you tell me you were going with Minhyuk?'

'Do you know how long we waited for you?'

'Hyungwon call me when you see this.'

'I'm serious.'

Rolling his eyes he pressed the call button and headed upstairs, he saw Minhyuk turn for a moment, "It won't be long, I'm going to change and talk to Kihyun about something for a second." Right as he explained his manager picked up on the other line and began to scold him.

"Chae Hyungwon!" Minhyuk snickered from where he was in the kitchen before Hyungwon's bedroom door closed.

"I'm sorry," he apologized immediately.

"You know how worried I was?" Hyungwon set his phone on speaker and searched for his joggers, skinny jeans weren't the comfiest to sleep in.

"You were talking to Hyunwoo about something wedding related and I didn't want to bother you."

"You could have texted me when you were in the car together?" There was rustling on Kihyun's line as well. He slipped on his joggers and headed back downstairs where Minhyuk was setting the second batch of fried eggs on a plate.

"I'm sorry, okay? Where are you going?" Hyungwon asked over the phone Minhyuk looked up with a confused face and Hyungwon just shook his head.

"Hyunwoo wanted to go out, wanna come with?"

"You shouldn't be inviting a third party to a date you're going on with your fiancé." Hyungwon set the phone down and took the plate of bread, looking at it as if it were going to come alive.

In the corner of his eye, he saw Minhyuk roll his eyes and take a bite into the egg sandwich.

"I'm sure Hyunwoo wouldn't mind, and we never hang out anymore, the three of us I mean. It's always either you and me or me and Hyunwoo." Hyungwon could feel Minhyuk's eyes on him and he saw the jaw stop mid-bite. Hyungwon was getting ready to answer when Minhyuk cut in.

"What about me Kihyun?" Hyungwon furrowed his brows and Minhyuk motioned him to eat his sandwich.

"Oh! Minhyuk! You're there? Hyungwon why didn't you tell me earlier? Are you guys on a date too?" Hyungwon blushed feeling obliged to take a bite so he wouldn't have the ability to say anything if forced.

The sandwich was surprising, sweet and salty but endearing to taste. Minhyuk had a victory smirk and Hyungwon would have wiped it off his face if he didn't deserve it.

"Yeah I've been over at Hyungwon's since yesterday. You know he's really clingy when he's drunk." Instead of turning red like Minhyuk expected Hyungwon's eyes widened and he began to shake his head.

"What?" Kihyun's voice was concerned on the other line. "Hyungwon got drunk? Is he okay?" Minhyuk pressed his lips together for a moment.

"He's fine, why?" Hyungwon continued to shake his head and try to snatch his phone back but Minhyuk wasn't letting up.

"Oh, uh... what?" Kihyun asked a question to what the two in Hyungwon's home assumed to be Hyunwoo. Minhyuk wasn't buying it. "Sorry Minhyuk, Hyunwoo doesn't like when I use my phone on dates, I have to go now bye!"

When the line went dead Hyungwon's head stopped shaking and the hand he was using to grab his phone back hung in mid-air. "Okay, Kihyun was obviously lying." He handed the phone back but there really wasn't any point in it now.

"Story for a story."

"Sure."

"I'm an emotional drunk." Hyungwon took another bite of the sandwich, it was actually really good.

"I kind of figured after last night, a lightweight too, though I'm not much better. Elaborate."

"I only drink when I'm sad and it gets worse after that."

"So... You didn't want to kill anyone last night so it can't be anything bad."

"Kihyun's going to be wondering why I drank last night if I was 'fine' as you put it." Minhyuk rose a single eyebrow. "Minhyuk, I was sad last night because of my feelings for Kihyun I can't just tell him now."

"Why not?"

"Uhhh, did you not know that he's engaged and getting married sometime in the spring of next year?" Hyungwon's sarcasm went unappreciated as Minhyuk finished up the rest of his sandwich.

"You're making everything complicated again."

"How? Don't you think it would make someone feel down if they were told their best friend liked them since they were twelve? If that were me I would feel like crap."

"Hyungwon," Minhyuk called. There wasn't an answer, just the view of Hyungwon trying to suppress his feelings and it bothered Minhyuk at how well he was doing so.

"Hyungwon," He called again. When there was no answer the second time he used a method that was bound to catch the other's attention and patted his cheeks.

"Hyungwon." Minhyuk backed up once he was sure he had the other's attention. "All you have to do is tell him that I asked you about your past and you got emotional."

"I'm a shit liar."

"True, but those events did happen and I'm sure the question reminded you of your past in some way." Hyungwon mulled it over, staring at his unfinished sandwich, he took another bite and continued to think.

"Something's still bothering you." Minhyuk returned to his seat across from Hyungwon and stared with his palms pressing against his cheeks and elbows resting on the counter.

"You're still here." Minhyuk made a face.

"Yes. I am."

"I thought you would be gone when I woke up," Hyungwon explained.

"I didn't wake up much earlier than you and I would feel horrible if I hadn't fed you when you let me stay here."

"I asked you to stay here."

"And I did because I wanted to."

Hyungwon stayed silent after that, "Do you want me to go?" Minhyuk's question came.

"No..."

Minhyuk looked between the door and Hyungwon for a while and thought about whether he should leave or not. Hyungwon said to stay but he was still staring at the plate.

"I guess it's my turn," Minhyuk exaggerated his sigh but it got Hyungwon's lips to turn up. Feeling slightly remorseful for choosing the particular story he continued.

"There's a video of me on the internet singing with my friend at a club."

"What song?" Hyungwon brought his phone closer to him and waited for the reply. "Hey, it's not fair if you don't tell me the song."

"Gangnam Style," Minhyuk coughed out, Hyungwon smirked and began to type on his phone. The message was sent to Kihyun, the other would open it sometime.

"Anyway~" Minhyuk reached over and slapped Hyungwon's phone out of his hands, causing it to clatter against the stone of Hyungwon's kitchen counter. "Mark asked me to help out at the orphanage again, wanna come with?"

Hyungwon thought about it for a while, "Do you wanna borrow some clothes?"

Minhyuk pulled the fabric of his shirt up for a smell test. It wasn't anything too bad, "I think it's fine, do I smell bad?" Minhyuk stood and walked over to Hyungwon and leaned in, Hyungwon took a quick whiff.

"Not horrible. Does he need us there now?" He leaned back and away from the other and got off the chair.

"Oh. Uh, he doesn't really need us, I was thinking of watching a movie before heading over."

"What time does the orphanage close?"

"Around nine."

"It's six."

"It is?" Minhyuk checked his phone and sure enough instead of a four like he was expecting the number six, two, and five showed up on screen, no four in sight.

Hyungwon let out a small laugh.

-

The parking lot had one more car than the other day and Hyungwon wondered who would adopt this late, the orphanage he was in would close doors at 5 because there were so many of them.

"Do you think that it's bad for me to be coming here a lot?" Minhyuk had yet to unlock the doors and Hyungwon turned with furrowed brows.

"What has you asking that question?"

"I was just wondering, I've always thought about it. I asked Mark one time. He said that it's fine, but doesn't it give them false hope that maybe one day I'm going to adopt one of them?"

"Are you thinking about adopting any of them?"

"Yeah? I've never been interested in girls and I obviously can't give birth but I've always wanted a kid."

"I thought you said you were bi?"

"I said I could date a girl." Hyungwon rose his eyebrows and tilted his chin up in a nod at the same time.

"You are getting their hopes up but eventually they'll look at you like another orphanage head and come to accept the fact you won't be adopting any of them." Hyungwon thought about anything else he should say.

"I don't think you should adopt a child from this orphanage, though, there are too many children that are already attached to you and would feel wronged if you adopted another kid instead of them."

"Is it hard to leave?"

"Yeah," Hyungwon sighed out. "When someone's taking care of you, you're bound to feel like they're your real parent or parents. Eventually, at least for me, you'll see enough people leave and start to think of the orphanage head as a friend. When I left, it's like I was leaving a really good friend and felt like I owe them something."

"So, it's kind of like moving?" The engine was turned off and the doors were unlocked, Minhyuk seemed to get the information he wanted.

"You could say that. I imagine it would be like moving into a dorm on a college campus during freshman year, but a lot scarier since you're young and you still believe in the concept of stranger danger."

"Do they teach you that in orphanages?"

"No, but kids are usually scared of adults." Minhyuk knocked on the door to the orphanage which caused it to open immediately and a chorus of the word surprise welcomed the two into the building. There were two lights coming from the far end of the room that gradually came closer as a stranger brought them inside.

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to Minhyuk~! Happy birthday to you!" The cake was brought by Mark, his mouth stretched into a wide grin.

"Aw, you guys didn't have to! You could have spent the money on-" There was suddenly frosting on his nose and a finger in Mark's mouth.

"Just make a wish," A voice called from behind them. Hyungwon jumped at the unexpected exclamation. Minhyuk closed his eyes with a smile, paused for a while, before finally opening his eyes and blowing the two flames out.

"You guys really didn't have to-"

"Relax, Minhyuk, I bought it with my own money and the kids deserve a little dessert don't they? We can't celebrate their individual birthdays so why not celebrate yours?" The strange voice from before switched on the lights and Hyungwon could finally match the face.

"You could celebrate Mark's birthday," Minhyuk muttered. "Thank you, though-Oh!" Minhyuk's eyes met Hyungwon's and he moved to stand next to the awkward boy. Hyungwon hadn't said a word since the door opened and he was still trying to process the fact it was Minhyuk's birthday.

"This is Hyungwon! We work together and naturally became friends. Hyungwon this is Jackson, Mark's boyfriend." Hyungwon snorted at Minhyuk's use of the word 'naturally' but decided to hold his tongue for the sake of Minhyuk's birthday.

It was Minhyuk's birthday.

Guilt settled at the bottom of Hyungwon's stomach again but he pretended like it wasn't there. He held out his hand for Jackson to shake but it was brushed aside and arms were wrapped around him instead. As he wrapped his arms around the other he noticed how different they were in body structure. Jackson was built and short while Hyungwon was lanky and tall.

"Handshakes are too formal. Nice to meet you Hyungwon, I've heard great things about you." A hand firmly met his back a few times before the body retreated.

"I think Minhyuk mentioned you once. Two days ago. I was wondering if Mark ran this whole thing by himself and he said that he and you help him out whenever."

"That's it??" Jackson playfully glared at Minhyuk.

"Hey no hitting the birthday boy," The blond excused, Jackson raised two fingers to his eyes before pointing them at Minhyuk.

"Tomorrow."

Mark slapped Jackson's arm which caused the male to flinch and complain, rubbing the spot Mark hit, giggles erupted around them and Hyungwon smiled. There was a tug at his leg and he looked down to see the same boy he's been waiting to see.

"Chan!" His features immediately lit up and he crouched down to match the height. "Do you still have my bracelet?"

"Yes!" The boy began digging through his sleeve and struggled to pull the string down his arm. "See?"

Sure enough, the twined material was in view and Hyungwon's smile got even brighter. "Good job. Here, you do this so it doesn't fall off" He ruffled the boy's head after tightening the string and stood to his full height again, zoning in at the point of conversation between the three adults.

"Mark it's my birthday and I want them to eat cake first," Hyungwon's eyes immediately looked towards the orphanage head and his eyebrow rose at the statement.

"Hyungwon don't you think they should eat dinner before eating cake?" He found himself nodding but several complaints came from several people and he paused. There was another tug at his leg and he crouched down again.

"Can't we eat cake first?"

"Yeah, Mister Hunwan." There was a snicker from Minhyuk and Hyungwon ignored it. Most of the kids came from the sides and began to beg for cake first, it was enough for Hyungwon to be convinced and Mark sighed at the majority.

Cheers filled the air and the kids filed into the kitchen, followed by the adults. "I'm sure they'll be fine," Hyungwon mentioned as they entered. Minhyuk and Jackson, being the ones onboard with the idea the whole time, ran off to the kitchen to cut the cake.

"So, have you thought about what I said?" They watched the kids excitedly talk to each other; about cake, Minhyuk, Jackson, or the people that came in earlier that day.

"What did you say?" Hyungwon flushed, turning his head to look at the kids near the far wall.

"You really are a bad liar," Mark laughed, "C'mon."

"...I did."

"And?" Mark leaned in forward. Hyungwon took his time replying, trying to figure out the exact words to say. Mark staring at him wasn't helping.

"I don't know." He shrugged his shoulders. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he snuck a peek, it was Kihyun's message with the video he wanted the other to find.

"You don't know?" Mark called his attention again, Hyungwon moved his lips to one side of his face and thought about his answer more.

"There's a really good chance I could hurt him, and I don't want to do that."

"That's exact proof of why you won't, because you don't want to," Mark reasoned.

"I can't control everything, Mark. Things will happen, and knowing my luck I might actually chase him away," he laughed like it was the most obvious thing in the world but Mark wasn't laughing with him.

"What might happen?" Hyungwon took a breath, held it, scanned the room, and breathed out once he met eyes with Mark again.

"Here comes the cake train!" Heads darted towards the kitchen entrance. There was a cart with several plates spaced out. Jackson was pulling the front, acting like security, Minhyuk was standing on the edge of the back, waving like a prince, and Hyungwon was waiting for the cart to flip over under his weight.

It never happened, though, and all the kids were able to get a slice with three plates left over.

"You can have it," Hyungwon motioned to Mark, "I'm pretty full."

"You know this guy's never eaten an egg sandwich?" There was a dramatic gasp coming from Jackson and Hyungwon shrunk himself, he could see some kids looking over to see why Jackson gasped.

"How did you make it?" Mark asked and Hyungwon thought about another way you could make an egg sandwich.

"My way, your guys' way is too complicated. I didn't want his first taste to be traumatizing."

"It's not even that hard!" Mark protested Minhyuk begged to differ, talking about how the egg whites always slip underneath the bread and the part they took from the middle is never used.

"You just eat it!" Jackson argued, joining in on the conversation.

"Who eats plain bread?" At the question, Hyungwon silently rose his hand and Minhyuk gave him a horrid expression.

"It's too much work to spread everything..." He trailed off. Minhyuk set his plate down on the cart and cupped his chest like he's been shot.

"Oh no!" One of the kids yelled from the table, they got up and quickly ran over to where Minhyuk was kneeling on the floor, still dramatically holding his hand over his chest. He collapsed into the arms of two children and looked up at them like it would be his last.

"Minnie, are you okay?" The little boy asked. Minhyuk shook his head, pointing to Hyungwon without looking at him. The kids looked up to Hyungwon with confusion then back down to Minhyuk.

"Did he hurt you, Minnie?" Another boy hopped up from the table they were sitting at and moved over, eyeing Hyungwon. Hyungwon began to shake his head.

"N-no I-"

"Don't lie!" Jackson threw his arm out, almost hitting his boyfriend in the process. Mark took a step back, waiting for Jackson to continue his statement. "I saw it all, with my own two eyes," he made exaggerated movements, still flailing his arms around.

"What did he do??" The kids asked at the same time, more and more continued to come over, curiously.

"He..." Minhyuk spoke up, thinking of something to say but maintaining the hurt expression. "He disobeyed me, the king, and tried to rebel. Guards!" He looked around at the children surrounding them. "Attack!" He pointed a stern finger and the children let out battle cries, running after the other

Mark moved out of the way when Hyungwon bolted and laughed when all the children followed. As Jackson and Minhyuk went after them to make sure no one gets hurt Mark stayed to watch the other kids that continued to eat their cake despite the distraction.

"Off with his head!" One of the girls screamed, Hyungwon purposely fell to the floor and allowed the small hands to throw blows. There were small hits to his neck as if they were cutting it, and fingers prodding his sides. He squirmed at the feeling and tried tickling some of the kids and it got them to stay back but some continued to be persistent.

When the amount of kids surrounding him lessened he took a deep breath only to let it out in a loud scream when stronger fingers began to attack his sides.

"Minhyuk!" He screamed when he opened his eyes long enough to recognize the person. "Wait- Minhyu-hahaha-sto-ahaha." He began to kick at the other so Minhyuk straddled him to avoid injury.

Hyungwon's laughing became silent and it took Minhyuk a few more seconds to realize the other needed to breathe to avoid passing out.

Gasping for air, he wiped his tears away and covered his sides just in case Minhyuk tried anything again. Minhyuk stood and held his hand out to help Hyungwon get up and it caused the one on the floor to flinch away.

"I won't do anything," Minhyuk held out his other hand in oath then brought it down for Hyungwon to grab. Hesitantly, Hyungwon took the hands then felt his upper body being lifted.

Taking a jab at the birthday boy's side, he stuck his tongue out when Minhyuk gave him a hurt look. "You know I could always send them after you again, or they could team up to hold you down while I tickle you. Or I hold you down while they tickle you."

"No more tickling, please. I nearly peed myself," Hyungwon's breath was still labored and his sides hurt from Minhyuk's merciless actions.

"C'mon guys, let's finish dinner, maybe we could watch a movie!" Minhyuk cheered. He brought them all to the kitchen, Jackson and Hyungwon being the last ones out.

"Hey, Hyungwon," Jackson startled the other with his sudden words but the tall one gave him attention nonetheless. "Are you and Minhyuk dating?"

Hyungwon flushed and shook his head, Jackson smirked and crossed his arms then rose an eyebrow.

"Really, we aren't. I don't think I would be good enough for Minhyuk." Hyungwon looked down at his feet.

"More like Minhyuk's not good enough for you," Jackson laughed. "You must have been a model at some point in your life, wa~y out of Minhyuk's league"

"What? Minhyuk's all outgoing and lively, he knows how to have fun and talk to people, he doesn't hide anything, wears his heart on his sleeve, he's dependable and knows how to listen and help he's-" Hyungwon cut himself off, realizing what he was about to say and the look Jackson was giving him.

"He deserves someone like him and I know that person isn't me."

"Do you like Minhyuk?" It was a simple question and both knew the answer to it but Hyungwon took a while to verbally respond. He nodded silently. It was a slow and small tilt of the head but it was a nod either way.

"Yes..."

"And Minhyuk likes you."

"How did you...?"

"He wears his heart on his sleeve right?" Jackson repeated a line from Hyungwon's previous rant and caused his cheeks to turn a bit redder. "Anyway, if you both like each other then why aren't you together?" Jackson says it like it's the simplest thing in the world.

"I-" Hyungwon started, cutting himself off and thinking of another way to tell Jackson that he still has feelings for his engaged manager.

"I don't think I'll be able to make him happy enough. All my relationships," Hyungwon made sure to add the 's' even though he's only ever dated Hoseok, "ended because they told me I wasn't responsive enough."

"But now you know you have to be more... responsive, that's a really weird word to say." Jackson's comment made the atmosphere a little lighter but Hyungwon was still thinking deeply about the topic at hand. "What I meant to say was, you know what mistakes you made and now you can avoid it."

Hyungwon didn't say anything afterward, Jackson was called into the dining room by his boyfriend but Hyungwon didn't think the kids would enjoy him looking so sad.

"Did we hurt you really bad Mister Hyungwon?" Chan's voice traveled towards his ears and he looked around to see Chan coming from the bathroom.

"Huh? No, I was just thinking." Hyungwon put on a smile but the child didn't seem to believe it.

Chan walked closer and took Hyungwon's large hand in his small one to lead him towards the couch. He sat first then patted the spot next to him for Hyungwon to sit. Hyungwon smiled for real but Chan remained serious.

Obliging to the youngers orders he sat and waited for Chan to start. "What were you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about Minhyuk,"

"Why?"

"Hm," Hyungwon wondered how he could explain the situation to the little one. "Chan, do you like candy?" The younger nodded and smiled, seeming to forget about the topic he brought on himself, "I don't have any right now, next time I'll bring you some. What's your favorite candy?"

"All of them!" Hyungwon laughed and decided another analogy would work.

"Okay, then what's your favorite dance move?" The boy immediately hopped off the couch and performed the move Hyungwon taught him the last time he was there. Blinking the shock away he gave Chan a high-five before he sat down again.

"Don't you have another one?" Hyungwon tilted his head.

"I used to like Michael Jackson's moonwalk, but it was too hard," the boy whined, " I still want to learn how to do it but Mister Hyungwon's move is easy and fun, so it's my favorite."

"Is it just your favorite because you know how to do it?" Chan thought about it for a while.

"Can I say yes and no?" Tilting his head to the side, Hyungwon nodded and ruffled his hair.

"Why is it yes and no?"

"I like it because I can do it, and it makes me happy when I can do it. But I like it because Mister Hyungwon teeched me it too."

"So if Mister Mark or Mister Minhyuk taught you would it still be your favorite?" The reply was a quick shake of the head, no hesitation.

"Mister Hyungwon makes me happy," since the chance was given, Hyungwon took it and asked, "Does that mean Mister Mark and Mister Minhyuk don't make you happy?"

"No!" Chan shook his head frantically, so much that he got dizzy and almost fell off the couch. Hyungwon was able to catch him, though, and he moved the child sideways onto his lap. "Mister Mark and Mister Minhyuk make me happy too! But Mister Hyungwon makes me happiest!"

"Why is that?" Hyungwon could hear Chan's name being called.

"Mister Hyungwon knows how to help me when I'm sad."

-

"Where did you find Chan?" Minhyuk said on their way back to Hyungwon's apartment.

"He went to the bathroom, I saw him walking down the hall and started talking to him about candy and Michael Jackson."

"Are you hungry?" Minhyuk asked out of the blue, Hyungwon guessed it was to continue the conversation.

"Not too much but I could eat, why are you hungry?"

"Just a bit, did you wanna go home?"

"No, not really." Hyungwon looked out the window and saw several plazas passing.

"Do you wanna share something? What do you want to eat?"

"You're the birthday boy, wait why...?" Minhyuk drove past all the shops and entered the parking lot of Hyungwon's apartment complex.

"I just thought it would be nice if we took a walk around instead of wasting gas, there's a convenience store not too far from here and I'm sure there'll be something to eat." Hyungwon nodded and got out of the car once it was parked. The air has been getting colder and it was seeping through the material of his sweater.

"Happy birthday, by the way. I don't think I've said that yet." Hyungwon laughed awkwardly as they walked out of the parking lot, the air turned noticeably cooler and they both shivered.

"Thanks, but I don't think my birthday's that big of a deal." Cars rushed passed them and Hyungwon found himself moving to the side of the sidewalk closest to the street.

"Why not?"

"I don't know, feels kind of cheap to have everyone treating you nicely for one day just because it's the day you were born."

"I wouldn't say that.. They're just celebrating the time you came into the world because if the day never came then you wouldn't be here."

"I still feel like it's unnecessary."

"I bet you kids born on February twenty-nine beg to differ." Hyungwon laughed and when Minhyuk slightly shoved him.

"Is something bothering you? Usually, I'm the asking those questions and you're the one answering with positivity."

"I'm just thinking," Minhyuk said, eyes cast on the sky, they couldn't see the stars but Minhyuk knew they were there.

"Thought for a thought?" Hyungwon offered, Minhyuk smirked.

"That's my line."

"I don't hear Jihoon yelling cut so it must be mine."

"You're so lame. I was just thinking about what to eat." They stopped at a crosswalk, Minhyuk pressed the button several times as if it would make a difference.

"Wow, I don't believe you at all," Hyungwon said in mock fascination, Minhyuk was still pushing the button when the light across the street signaled them to come over so he ended up pulling the blond.

"It's nothing, though, and I really was thinking about what to eat." Minhyuk brought his arm out of Hyungwon's grip and Hyungwon reached out for Minhyuk's arm as he continued to walk but stopped himself and decided to walk faster to catch up.

"Minhyuk, you're acting way different than you usually do. What's on your mind?"

"It's nothing."

"It can't be nothing if it's bothering you."

"It's stupid then."

"I'd still like to know," Hyungwon persisted.

"I'm conflicted," Minhyuk admitted, it wasn't much but they were getting somewhere.

"On what to eat?" Minhyuk nodded and entered the store. Hyungwon watched him move to the isle of ramen cups.

"Let's say I want this ramen. It's the same flavor as the one all the way down the isle but the one down the isle is somewhat healthier and better for me." Hyungwon focused on the ramen bag then nodded, locking eyes with Minhyuk.

"Now, I could go over there to get the ramen but this one is right," he emphasized the direction, "here, but the other one is healthier right?" Hyungwon looked down the isle again then nodded to Minhyuk.

"I don't know if I should walk over there and get that ramen or if I should just take this one and risk the chance of feeling sick later."

"You won't get too sick when was the last time-" At Minhyuk's sigh of frustration Hyungwon finally understood that Minhyuk wasn't talking about ramen. The ramen was put back in its place and Minhyuk began to make his way down the aisle again but this time, Hyungwon didn't stop his arm from extending all the way out and latching onto Minhyuk's.

"I think we should get this ramen. We're already here anyway. I'm pretty sure you won't feel bad after."

"And if I do?"

"Then I'll nurse you back to health." Hyungwon meant it as a joke but his smile faltered when Minhyuk gave him a look of hesitance.

"How are you so sure you'll be able to do that?"

"I promise I'll try my hardest."

"You promise?" Hyungwon swallowed his spit, he had an idea of what Minhyuk was hinting towards but he felt it was better to answer the question verbally than with actions.

"Yes."

"Then can I ask you something?" Minhyuk walked back towards Hyungwon, looking down at the floor, he didn't try to take Hyungwon's hand off his arm.

"Go ahead," Hyungwon's voice was quiet like they were about to share a secret.

Minhyuk looked up after he mumbled something, Hyungwon wasn't sure if he heard it right but he trusted his ears and complied.

His hand moved from Minhyuk's arm up to his chin to tilt it just the slightest. His other arm maneuvered itself around Minhyuk, bringing him closer by the inch. He looked into Minhyuk's eyes for a brief moment and when they began to close he did the same, leaning down at the same time.

He heard his heartbeat pumping blood to his ears and he was sure Minhyuk could feel it with his hands gripping his shirt so hard. He slowly moved his head back, hands keeping Minhyuk in place.

"Feeling sick?"

"It depends," Minhyuk sounded winded despite the fact they were just standing there. Their eyes were still connected and frankly, Minhyuk was feeling a little dizzy. Hyungwon raised a brow, encouraging him to continue.

"What happens now?" Minhyuk's eyes moved from Hyungwon's eyes to Hyungwon's lips, then back to Hyungwon's eyes in less than a second.

Hyungwon answered with another kiss.


	8. Don't Think Too Much

"So... What now?" Minhyuk breathed, staring up at Hyungwon with what seemed to be fear, it was the first time Hyungwon saw the expression on the other's face and he couldn't help but think it didn't fit him.

"Now," Hyungwon started, blushing but making no move to let Minhyuk out of his grasp. "Now, I suppose I ask you to be my boyfriend properly, but announcing it like that doesn't really make it special."

"I've never been the type of person to want something super special, as long as you're asking I'll answer," the statement was steady coming from a person who looked so nervous.

Hyungwon took another look at the fear in Minhyuk's eyes before breaking away to scan the store. He could see the cashier on duty making motions and he brought his eyebrows together to try in decipher what they were but it didn't work out too well. The moment ended once Minhyuk turned his head, noticed the single audience member, and pushed himself out of Hyungwon's grasp.

"Sorry, thanks for the... Birthday present? Yeah, you could just say it's a birthday present, I'm not really that hungry anymore so why don't we get you home and we'll part for today." Minhyuk's words came out in one breath and left his mouth faster with every step Hyungwon took. Minhyuk took a peek at the cashier, who busied themselves with organizing the bills once they figured out they were caught. Hyungwon followed suite before paying attention to Minhyuk again.

He was relieved to see that the fear in Minhyuk's eyes left, then became amused when they were replaced by embarrassment. His cheeks were dusted red and he wasn't able to meet Hyungwon's eyes, Hyungwon's anything to be exact, his eyes avoided everything that belonged to the younger.

"Hey Minhyuk," Hyungwon called gently, Minhyuk took a step back but Hyungwon countered the movement, stepping forward to maintain the distance. Looking up after making sure he wouldn't step on Minhyuk's toes he saw that he had the other's attention and it threw him off guard a little, but he maintained his composure to continue what he was trying to say.

"Lee Minhyuk," he said softly, smiling brighter when the color in Minhyuk's cheeks turned darker. "Would you," they took another step together, "be my," Minhyuk tripped over his feet but before he could get too close to the ground, Hyungwon caught him by the arm and held him upright as he finished the question, "boyfriend?"

The doubtful expression returned and Hyungwon waited. Minhyuk looked between his eyes for several seconds, feeling his hand on his bicep, looking up, feeling the stare from the cashier, realizing just how dry his lips were.

He ran his tongue over them once before taking in a sharp breath through his nose, "are you sure?" The question was almost inaudible and it could have taken Hyungwon a single breath at the same time to miss it.

Hyungwon nodded and Minhyuk closed his eyes, counted to three, then opened them again. He took his fingers and pinched his arm, hissing at the feeling. Hyungwon immediately grabbed onto the injured area, looking at Minhyuk like he would a crazy man but with a bit more amusement and concern.

"I was making sure I wasn't dreaming. Are you sure about this because I swear I won't think anything about the kiss, I'll even forget about it, what was I talking about again-?" Minhyuk's second rant was cut off when Hyungwon tightened his hold.

Minhyuk's cheeks were hot from embarrassment and Hyungwon let the hand move up to his shoulder and neck, "You're suddenly thinking more than I am and it's weird." He realized that the words he chose to say weren't the best to say but it was too late to take back and Minhyuk seemed to feel better after hearing it.

"I just don't want to force you into anything." In a very uncharacteristic way, Minhyuk looked down and Hyungwon was the one bringing his chin back up.

"You've been thinking an awful lot tonight, for someone who usually does what he feels like doing." Hyungwon took a step back to allow Minhyuk a breath and a good amount of thinking space. Minhyuk seemed to reach out for a moment and Hyungwon stopped moving.

"What do you want?" Hyungwon asked, telling Minhyuk with his eyes that he doesn't need to think about Hyungwon's feelings and just trust his own. Minhyuk raised his eyebrows one more time in his last chance to make sure Hyungwon didn't want to back out of his question. With a single nod, Minhyuk let out the breath.

"Yes, I'll be your boyfriend."

-

"Do you want to come with me to see my mom tomorrow?" Minhyuk was walking Hyungwon back up to his apartment, they were making their way down the hall when Minhyuk asked.

"Are you meeting her for your birthday?" Hyungwon asked back and when Minhyuk nodded he politely declined. Taking his keys out from his pocket once his apartment door was in view.

"What? Why not?" Minhyuk quickened his pace and blocked the entrance before Hyungwon had the chance to realize he wasn't really given an option.

"It's for you and your mom, it should be a day you two spend alone, she doesn't even know me."

"She knows you," Minhyuk stated idly, "Not, personally but she knows you're my coworker."

"I don't think that's enough information to be having a meal with her," Hyungwon laughed and tried to get to his door but Minhyuk promptly stood in front of the lock.

"So what I hear is, you're going with me tomorrow to eat lunch with my mom?" Hyungwon shook his head, a smile playing at his lips.

"I didn't say anything like that," Hyungwon tried to move him to the side so Minhyuk pushed his hips to resist. Laughing, Hyungwon poked at Minhyuk's sides and pressed his hand onto the knob to avoid another blockage.

"Great see you tomorrow-" Hyungwon closed the door, laughing to himself at last thing he saw of Minhyuk's expression. He pressed his ear to the door and there was a gentle knock drowned out by the sound of the doorknob wiggling to open. Hyungwon held it still until there was almost no sound. There was the slight hum of the lights being powered and Hyungwon moved to crack the door open and check.

He saw the dark orange patterned walls and dark blue carpet, no sign of Minhyuk. He opened the door wider to stick his head out and suddenly an arm came in view to push the door open and keep it there. Minhyuk stood, in front of Hyungwon in the advantage of keeping the door open with his foot and supporting himself with the doorframe.

"See you tomorrow," Minhyuk grinned and leaned forward to place a small peck on Hyungwon's cheek before reeling back and running down the hallway. Hyungwon surged forward and fell to the floor to avoid bringing the door down on his face. At the end of the hall, he saw the last of Minhyuk's clothing turning the corner.

The next morning Hyungwon opened the door to a brightly smiling Minhyuk who frowned once he saw the other's attire. "Why aren't you dressed?"

"What do you mean?" Hyungwon wiped the sleep from his eyes and blinked to see Minhyuk more closely. He was wearing a casual outfit, his navy blue shirt was a few sizes too big and ended around mid-thigh where light blue denim jeans continued the way down his body till his green shoes.

"Meeting my mom today, remember?" Hyungwon sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Do I really have to go? I thought I was given an option..." He rubbed his eyes again before opening the door so Minhyuk could wait as he got ready.

Hyungwon was left alone for the first part, brushing his teeth lazily then dunking his head under the running water once he was done. He was drying his head with a towel when Minhyuk came into his room to tell him to hurry up.

"You're such lady you look fine, get changed and let's go." He pulled on the arm that was attached to a whining male. "At times like these, I remember you're younger than me." Minhyuk sat him down on the bed and opened his drawers to pick out some clothes.

"Whatever happened to not wanting to force me into doing things I don't want to do?" Hyungwon found himself muttering. Minhyuk froze at the words and turned around with a worried expression.

"Do you really not want to go? I mean I could leave now, sorry if you didn't-"

Figuring out that Minhyuk really did want to bring him and feeling a bit bad for making Minhyuk so worried, he put effort into moving and nudged Minhyuk out the door, telling him to bring the car to the front and he would be down by then.

As he walked out he watched several cars honk at Minhyuk's parked one and he waved to them in apology while knocking on the window so Minhyuk could let him in. He didn't comment about how relieved Minhyuk was when he opened the door.

-

"This is Hyungwon," Minhyuk gestured to the person standing across from him and his mother. He chose to wear a white shirt and black pants held up with a matching black belt, his shoes were the fanciest, coming to a smooth point where his toes were.

"Oh~," the sweet lady cooed extending her hand forward for a shake. Hyungwon took it gently with both hands, turning pink when she giggled at the action. "A gentleman." She pulled her hand away and Hyungwon brought one of his to the back of his head smoothening the hair there.

"It's very nice to meet you, Ma'am." Hyungwon out on a nervous smile.

"And you as well, though, you were the one that stole Minhyukie from me on his actual birthday." when Hyungwon's smile dropped and he showed signs of an apology she laughed and shook her head. "I'm just kidding, Hyungwon. He's a worrier isn't he?" She looked to her son who only nodded, Hyungwon willed the redness in his face to lessen at least a bit.

"I think it's good, though, I need someone to worry after Minhyuk. He's always doing things on a whim." Hyungwon found himself agreeing to the statement but choking on his spit at her next question, "So what is it that you like about my Minhyukie?"

"Mom~" the son whined from her side. She shushed him with a frown but smiled at Hyungwon as she continued to wait for an answer.

"Uh..." Hyungwon started, clearing his throat out if nervousness. "He's stubborn and loud and never plans things ahead of time but he understands me pretty well..." Both boys flushed as the woman encouraged him to continue. "He's helped me a lot, he's really nice and..." He moved his hands in a circular motion, trying to find more to say, "He makes me happy." He looked down at the floor with red up to his ears.

When he looked up again Minhyuk's mother was one step closer and reaching out to pat his cheeks, he rolled his lips together and smiled when she did. She patted them twice before moving away directing a question to Minhyuk, "Shall we go eat?"

The restaurant was fancier than Hyungwon had expected. There were several people in black vests and white polo's, walking skillfully down the isles of people who sat talking and eating together with smiles. Minhyuk had made him call for a spot while they were in the car so they were seated immediately.

Hyungwon tried to avoid the stares of Minhyuk's mother so he could focus on the names and what was in the meals. "Is there something on my face, Ma'am?" She shook her head with a smile but made no move to stop her staring. Hyungwon looked to Minhyuk but the male was nose deep in the menu. He heard a content sigh coming from the woman across from him as she finally decided to look at the menu.

"Hello, today I'll be your waiter - Oh hey." Hyungwon's head snapped up at the greeting and Minhyuk slowly brought his eyes to their waiter. Blond hair was gelled back and a sweet smile rested on the familiar face.

Hyungwon managed a small wave, hand barely peeking up from the table. He looked to Minhyuk, waiting for eye contact to be made but Minhyuk had returned his eyes to the menu, scanning it over one more time before facing their waiter again, refusing to look at Hyungwon.

"Well, my name is Hoseok and I'll be your waiter for tonight. Are you ready to order or do you think you need more time?"

"I think we will need more time," Minhyuk's mother said from her seat. She held the sweet smile on her face and Hoseok had returned it eagerly.

"I see, are there any other drinks you want to order while I'm here?" Hyungwon stared at the table and shook his head. Minhyuk shook his head as well.

Feeling something off with the boys. Minhyuk's mom brought her lips to one side of her face then bluntly asked, "Do you all know each other?"

Hoseok laughed nervously and Hyungwon flinched, gripping his knees from underneath the table. "Hyungwon and I used to see each other, Ma'am." she pursed her lips in understanding but her questions didn't stop. "Why did you two break up?" Minhyuk voiced his complaint.

"Mom~ that's none of your business." Hyungwon would have added a comment to Minhyuk's words but Hoseok took the liberty to answer the question.

"Haha, well we weren't really right for each other. We both liked other people anyway." Hoseok didn't miss the way Hyungwon twitched at the words. "I'm happy, though, and I think Minhyuk is a great match for Hyungwon, they fit each other. Congratulations on your relationship, by the way." He touched Minhyuk's shoulder in a comforting matter and Minhyuk simply nodded at the action. Excusing himself with one more smile, he finally left and Hyungwon could bring his head up for air.

He grabbed his cup and took lengthy gulps to bring the temperature of the room back down to something more bearable. Minhyuk offered him his own cup when Hyungwon was finished with his.

"Don't drink too much Honey, you might not be able to eat." Hyungwon wasn't planning on eating much in the first place but he took one more sip through the straw before putting the cup down. Spotting Hoseok talking to another table with the same smile, Hyungwon wondered how he knew about Minhyuk and him.

As he relaxed back in his chair he felt Minhyuk's hand and simply laid it on top, fingers gently resting and crossing with the other's. Everything with Minhyuk was always easy. Calming his emotions was easier, smiling was easier, laughing was easier, but getting scared was also easier. Hyungwon stared at the menu, there was a plate with a lot of beef on it and he was sure he would like it, he was just pretending to look for something else as he thought.

He felt the fear return to his mind then remembered Minhyuk's expression the night before. Why had it been so easy to lean in and kiss Minhyuk? They'd been dating for less than twenty-four hours and Hyungwon could easily find himself kissing Minhyuk if he felt the urge, or if Minhyuk asked him to again. Hyungwon found it easy to take comfort in Minhyuk, the blond was always there. He was scared that if he slipped the slightest then Minhyuk would leave, he already had so many reasons.

Hyungwon was always thinking about those reasons.

He felt a squeeze on his hand and he realized he'd moved his to lace his fingers with Minhyuk and he'd been holding it like he was already begging Minhyuk to stay. There was a small exchange of smiles and Hoseok came back to take their orders.

The meal was spent answering questions about the food and Hyungwon, there were a few stories about when Minhyuk was a baby, "He was always collecting things, I'm sure he still has all his action figures. He used to yell around the whole house, acting like they were talking to him and attacking other oh!" She shook her head like she was still looking at her young baby. "He was so cute then."

"Hey!" Minhyuk whined, pouting.

"Of course you're still cute now, you'll always be cute." She reached over the table and pinched his cheeks, making him flinch away. "You were just so chubby then, chubby and small and never spoke back to your mother." She shook her finger at the last part and Hyungwon laughed.

They were done with their meal, Minhyuk had gone to use the restroom and left Hyungwon to answer more of the woman's endless questions.

"Are you close with your mother?" She smiled at him, taking a sip of her drink after asking. Hyungwon returned her smile and shook his head. She frowned and set the cup down. "That's no good, you should have a good relationship with the woman that brought you into the world." Hyungwon laughed at the statement softly.

"Ma'am, my mother gave me to an orphanage home. The only woman that adopted me left me somewhere and never came back." Her frown deepened and for the first time that night, she apologized for asking a question. Hyungwon shook his head and held his hand up.

"I never minded, it's not as bad as you think. The first person to adopt me was a man who died from drunk driving, he was drunk all the time. The second one left me with my friend and never came back, she was gone most of the time as well, never gave me a chance to get close."

"How old are you?"

"I'm twenty-two Ma'am."

"You're very different to Minhyuk's old boyfriend," Hyungwon raised his brows at the statement. "He was older, for one thing, and he never looked scared of hurting my Minhyuk. The way he spoke was very strong, not hesitant like you." Hyungwon stayed silent. "He was very dominant, at first I thought it was good for Minhyuk, he's a free will, I'm sure you know." Hyungwon nodded.

"But Minhyuk did everything for him, whatever the other wanted he would do it, I'm sure if he was told to jump off a building he would." Hyungwon's eyes widened. Minhyuk said he never had any bad mental scars.

"Then one day he told Minhyuk that he didn't want to be together anymore. Do you want to know what Minhyuk did?" Hyungwon nodded slowly.

"Nothing, he didn't cry, didn't complain, he never spoke to the guy ever again. Kind of like he forgot about him." Hyungwon was going to ask more, if he changed in any way, what happens when the guy is brought up, but the topic of their conversation came back, holding a receipt in his hands and whistling.

"Mom is there anywhere else you want to go? Do you want me to drop you off at home?" He helped her up and she swatted his hand away.

"Stop making me look old in front of cute young gentlemen. I'm only forty-eight. Your sibling will pick me up, he's probably waiting outside. I'll be off then, she hugged her son and they all walked out together. Hyungwon shook Minhyuk's younger brother's hand the same way he shook the hand of their mother and watched as Minhyuk made small talk with his sibling.

It was a sweet moment and Hyungwon was so engrossed by watching the two that he hadn't noticed Mrs. Lee walk up to him.

"Yes?" He asked, leaning down to press his ear against the other end of the cup she made with her hands.

"Promise me you'll talk to him about it," she whispered. He blinked and looked at Minhyuk with a worried expression. "Promise me," she repeated.

"Okay," Hyungwon affirmed, looking back at her and straightening his spine, he got a sweet smile and returned it before she was walking towards the car where Minhyuk held the door open. The two waved them off together until they were out of sight.

"I am so sorry about all her questions, what did she ask you when I was gone?"

"She asked me about my past and how old I was. I don't mind too much, very used to it. You two are very similar. It was funny when you told her Hoseok and my relationship was none of her business."

"It wasn't!"

"But it was yours?"

"Of course, if I'm going to be with someone I should know what they've gone through." Minhyuk shrugged it off.

"I don't know what you've gone through." Hyungwon's first attempt at fulfilling his promise failed at Minhyuk's reply.

"I haven't gone through anything tragic, nothing to share." Hyungwon bit his lip and didn't ask further. Minhyuk looked so happy and what kind of boyfriend would he be if he wanted to bring up a bad memory in the midst of happiness?

"You're thinking about something. I see it on your face." He felt fingers apply pressure to the center of his forehead and he covered the spot when they retreated.

"Nothing we can't talk about later."

"Let's talk about it now," Minhyuk suggested innocently. Hyungwon smiled and asked a different question.

"Why is everything so easy when I'm with you?" He reached for the elder's hand, Minhyuk met him halfway and smiled brighter.

"Easy how?" Minhyuk took Hyungwon's other hand and began to walk backward. Hyungwon steered him so he wouldn't bump into anything.

"Easy as in I can do anything." Hyungwon laughed, squeezing Minhyuk's hand and pulling him to his right to avoid a pole.

"Because I don't let you overthink things. I won't let you overthink things." Minhyuk confirmed Hyungwon nodded. In the moment of the silence, he noticed Minhyuk looking into the distance, "Okay your turn, what's on your mind?"

"I feel like I forced you to feel like this." Minhyuk shrugged and avoided Hyungwon's gaze.

"You're not."

"But how do I know that? There's a thing called blind by love." He was looking up at the sky and Hyungwon stared at his neck.

"Oh, so you're in love with me now?" He meant to say it in a teasing matter but Minhyuk's reply was a straightforward nod.

Hyungwon stopped, pulling his arm slightly so Minyuk wouldn't bring his shoulder out of its socket. "Wait really?" Minhyuk rolled his eyes and nodded.

"Don't overthink," Minhyuk commanded.

"I'm not... I'm just... Thinking."

"Well stop," Minhyuk said like it was the easiest thing to do. "I'm not going to jump off a building because of it." Hyungwon could hear Minhyuk's mother's voice in the back of his head as they began to walk again.

"You were thinking too," Hyungwon pointed.

"I know, but I stopped for now" Minhyuk was turned to the front, pulling Hyungwon the rest of the way.

"Are you still thinking?" Minhyuk asked after the small pause.

"Yes."

"About?"

"You." Minhyuk laughed, his hand tightening around Hyungwon's for a second.

"I'm flattered but instead of thinking about one person. Think about both of us. The less you overthink the happier you'd be." Minhyuk finally stopped and reached up to poke the frown lines on Hyungwon's face for a second time. The hand trailed down his face to his cheeks and Hyungwon held it there with his own hands. Minhyuk's smiled changed to something more sympathetic, wanting Hyungwon to smile with him.

Getting the message Hyungwon turned up the corners his lips. Minhyuk moved his hands away and they continued the rest of the way to the car.

"What do you think about seeing an actual movie?" Minhyuk asked once they were in the car together.

"What do you want to watch?"

"Deadpool." Minhyuk waited for cars to pass before pulling into traffic.

"It's still in theaters?"

"This one theater that my friend works at, yeah. This is the last week, though. If you don't want to go then you obviously don't have to."

"Is Deadpool the one about the guy that looks like Spider-Man?" When Hyungwon saw Minhyuk's offended look he began to laugh. "I'm kidding. I already watched it, but it's worth a second watch."

"Are you sure? We could choose another movie to watch."

"Oh, an overthinking Minhyuk occurs a lot lately." A hand came and shoved him, he laughed as his arm met the side of the door.

"I don't want to make you do things you don't want to do."

"So you are still thinking about that." Hyungwon teased one more time and Minhyuk actually punched him. He rubbed his arm and backed off.

"I'm sure."

-

The theater wasn't bad, it was actually nicer than some that Hyungwon has gone to, the surrounding area wouldn't appeal to people of the city, though. Hyungwon wouldn't have come so far from the city lights if it weren't for Minhyuk bringing him.

There weren't many buildings on the way and if Minhyuk hadn't known which exit to take they would have missed it completely from how rural everything was. The inside had two stories, though, and it was similar to the structure of an opera house, same velvet red color but no chairs.

Minhyuk's friend, Gwangjin, was shocked when they first came through the door and Hyungwon blushed when he congratulated them about their relationship. Gwangjin asked a few questions about the show and then for a signature, in the corner of his eye he could see Minhyuk huffing and faintly heard him mutter something about Gwangjin never wanting his autograph.

During the movie, Hyungwon couldn't help but look to Minhyuk when he let out a laugh, the other would grab onto his arm and lean his head back or hunch forward, hitting him when something was especially funny. Hyungwon always checked around to see if they were disturbing anyone, forgetting they had the whole theater to themselves.

"Out with it," Minhyuk said as they were driving back. Hyungwon rose his brows and made a noise in the back of his throat in a way to ask for what Minhyuk meant.

"Your thoughts."

"Do you really think you're forcing me into this relationship?" Hyungwon started, Minhyuk rolled his eyes.

"Hyungwon-"

"It's what I'm thinking of and I can't stop thinking about it until I have an answer," Hyungwon pressed.

"...Yes."

"Why?"

"I don't know why," Minhyuk lied, Hyungwon was beginning to catch onto the change in Minhyuk's voice.

"Your mom told me about your ex." Hyungwon looked for any signs of remorse but there were none.

"What'd she say?" His voice was higher than normal and Hyungwon was taken aback. He blinked and took a while to answer.

"She said I was different from him."

"You are, you're much better." There was a slight edge like Minhyuk would lash out at any moment.

"What was he like?"

"The opposite of you." The short reply came, Hyungwon could hear him breathe out.

"Minhyuk..."

"He was great, just didn't like me. I made a deal with him, if he went out with me I would promise to do everything he wanted."

"And?"

Minhyuk remembered how it went down. "He still didn't like me and eventually said he wanted to break up and he didn't want me bothering him ever again. I think annoyed him. It's not a story worth sharing. Didn't change me, just taught me a lesson."

"So..." Hyungwon tried to guess what the lesson was.

"If you force people into doing something they don't want to do, you'll lose them forever. So if you don't want to go out with me then say the words now and that'll be that." One of Minhyuk's hand left the wheel for a moment then returned.

Hyungwon thought about the words for a moment. "Wasn't I the one that asked you?"

"Yeah but I asked you to kiss me so, I just thought you were asking it because it was the heat of the moment and the cashier obviously wanted something to happen."

"Minhyuk, I like you, a lot" He nodded to assure himself, he had no idea how Minhyuk reacted but he guessed it was good. "I wouldn't have asked you out if I didn't like you, but I do think everything happened really fast." He didn't mean to sound doubtful of the relationship but with the way Minhyuk's lips hardened to a thin line, he knew he should have worded it differently.

"I could wait, you know. We could take a break-"

"No," Hyungwon cut Minhyuk off before he could finish then continued when Minhyuk stayed silent, "That's exactly what I'm scared of. We've been dating for what? A day? And we would already be breaking up."

Minhyuk laughed at Hyungwon's frustration and the younger let his own lips curl up at the sound. "Then what do you want to do?"

"I don't want to break up," Hyungwon stated honestly.

"That's a relief," Minhyuk teased. Hyungwon laughed at himself.

"I'm so awkward, I guess you're right when you say not to worry about anything."

"I like it, and I'm always right. I actually read that dating an awkward person makes you happier." Hyungwon shoved the elder, "What? I'm not kidding you could even search it up!" With a pout, Hyungwon pulled out his phone and began typing.

-

"See I told you!" They were in the orange hallway once more, Hyungwon still pouting.

"Yeah but it doesn't make any sense-" Hyungwon paused in the middle of his sentence when he opened the door to his apartment to see Kihyun sitting at his island, sipping tea. "Hey... Kihyun?"

Kihyun didn't react, simply swallowed before looking up. They all blinked once before Kihyun moved again. He reached out and set his cup on the counter to hold up a magazine with both hands. Seeing the cover, both Hyungwon and Minhyuk blushed.

It was a picture, a large one at that, of them kissing without any possibility of argument over the action. "Why?" Hyungwon took a cautious step forward and let the door close.

"Why what?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kihyun looked genuinely hurt and Hyungwon slumped rolling his eyes in his realization of what the scene was about. Sensing the change in atmosphere Minhyuk finally let his smile come back to his face.

"Hyungwon!" Kihyun said, upset that the youngest of the three didn't care about his concerns.

"Yes, Kihyun?" Hyungwon smiled when he saw Kihyun prepared coffee for him already. He took two cups from the cabinet above his head and held one up in question if Minhyuk wanted some.

"Look at me when you talk to me," the nag came. Hyungwon finished pouring the drinks and handed one to Minhyuk before giving Kihyun is full attention, even sitting at the counter. He pulled out the chair next to him as well so Minhyuk could sit.

"Yes, Kihyun?" He asked again.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kihyun repeated his question. Hyungwon took a sip from his coffee, making a face when he realized it was pure black, he checked Minhyuk's reaction for a moment, he hadn't tried it yet, being concerned about Kihyun. Hyungwon rolled his eyes and stood to get creamer.

"Kihyun how long did you wait to tell me about you and Hyunwoo again?" He sat back at the counter, offering the powder to Minhyuk first.

"... That's not the point," Hyungwon laughed at Kihyun's embarrassed state.

"You can't be badgering me about this when you waited four weeks to tell me about yours. Air entered Kihyun's cheek and moved from one side to the other.

"At least I told you in person," Kihyun muttered. Hyungwon thought about the counter to his sentence but he let it drop, knowing Kihyun would just continue to find a way to blame him.

"Okay, I'm sorry," even though he was sure he didn't sound the least bit apologetic Kihyun smiled and seemed to forgive him. "But I'm guessing there was more you wanted to talk about considering you used the emergency key."

Kihyun seemed lost for a moment as he tried to remember, "Oh," he said, "Party. I don't really think I'll be having one for my birthday - happy belated to you, Minhyuk. Hyunwoo thought we would just have an engagement party."

"Thanks, how did you know?" Minhyuk asked, stirring the now lightly-colored coffee.

"It said in the magazine, along with questions one whether it's fake - which I doubt after seeing you two walk through the door together. Then how you two got together, I'm curious as well."

Hyungwon shrugged, "We just hung out."

"I asked Hyungwon out," Minhyuk corrected, Kihyun raised his eyebrows and waited for more information. "I brought him to a bunch of different places, I can't believe he doesn't like the fair, but anyway, eventually I got him to fall for my impeccable looks and personality." He faked a hair flip and laughed at himself after.

"No but we really did just hang out and it happened." Kihyun's phone let out a short chime and he stood up when the screen lit up with his fiancé's name.

"The party's on the tenth, Hyungwon, you have to go, Minhyuk, you can come if you want but you don't have to." The shortest slipped his shoes on and waved until the door closed. Hyungwon sighed and drank the coffee before making a face.

"You know what I just noticed?"

"We should sleep soon but instead we're drinking coffee," Minhyuk answered, taking a sip himself. Hyungwon nodded, continuing nonetheless.

"I noticed when you gave me it but I wasn't going to turn down coffee." Hyungwon tilted his head in agreement then picked up the magazine Kihyun left on the counter, he examined the photo on the front before flipping through the pages to find the matching article.

"What's it say?" Minhyuk moved over so he could read as well.

"Stars Lee Minhyuk and Chae Hyungwon have been spotted going out on Minhyuk's birthday. Not only that but just a few weeks ago there was a rumor going around that they went to the fair together. Suspicions of them dating have been clearly answered as the two shared a sweet kiss in a convenience store in downtown Seika. The new questions of, 'How did they get together' and 'when did they start dating' and 'Is this all an act' begin to arise as the couple becomes more open about their relationship."

"Ooh we're scandalous," Minhyuk laughed, leaning back so there was enough room to down half the drink.

"When did you start liking me anyway?" Minhyuk shrugged, looking up and finishing his caffeinated drink, licking his lips after finishing.

"Maybe it was love at first sight," Minhyuk mocked the voice of a daydreaming seven-year-old and copied the way they would hold their face in their hands and kick their feet. Hyungwon shook his head, taking a lot longer to finish his drink.

"It's actually just a really long and complicated story, I'll save it for another day. For now, I have to get going. My brother wanted to go out for a few days, about five or something. He and his girlfriend live a few hours from here so I have to pack and everything." Minhyuk washed the cup and set it on the rack before heading over to the door.

"His girlfriend doesn't believe that I'm his brother and I still haven't met her yet, being busy with filming and everything. If you want, you could come with." Hyungwon immediately shook his head.

"If your brother is anything like you and your mom, and I don't mean to offend anyone, but I don't think I could handle that many questions again." Minhyuk stumbled over himself while tying his shoes and laughing. "But does that mean you're not going to Kihyun's party?"

"I'll be back by then," Minhyuk replied, trying to do math in his brain.

"Won't you be tired?" Minhyuk shrugged and opened the door.

"We'll see. Thanks for coming with me today." He turned to smile at Hyungwon but his lips dropped when a hand was suddenly pushed through his hair to expose his forehead. It took him a while to register what was happening and eventually he was able to push the hand away.

"I wanted to see it before you left for five days." Hyungwon laughed, finishing up the rest of his coffee, knowing he would regret it when he's trying to sleep later. "You should style your hair up for the party if you go."

"Yeah, we'll see about that." Minhyuk put a protective hand over the curtain of hair hiding his forehead from the open world, making sure Hyungwon wouldn't be able to move it again.

"Bye," Hyungwon said gently, stepping closer and leaning down. The kiss was short and simple, a sweet goodbye. When he pulled away and saw how pink Minhyuk's cheeks were he felt his own embarrassment creep up his neck. "Stay safe."

Minhyuk nodded, breaking into a huge smile and hugging Hyungwon. "You too," Hyungwon put his arm around the other and moved his hand to play with the hair on the back of Minhyuk's head. They stayed like that for a while before Minhyuk moved away to finally leave. Hyungwon watched him walk down the hallway waving when they caught each other's eyes as Minhyuk turned the corner.

Back inside the comfort of his own apartment he made a noise similar to the one of a squealing pig and hit the couch repeatedly. He groaned and rethought his life, especially the part of his that just took place.

Asking himself why he couldn't think straight and why he had just kissed Minhyuk, he tried to get the smile off of his face.


	9. I'll Say it Now and Again

Kihyun turned the key in the lock and swung to door open, rolling his eyes as the apartment was the exact way he'd seen it the day before.

Remotes perfectly spaced apart set parallel to each other while also being perpendicular to the television embed into the wall. Pillows perfectly placed on the center cushion and corners of the couch where the back met the armrests. Coffee machine perfectly clean. Dishes still perfectly placed in the rack and dried.

He moved towards the fridge and as the steel swung out, he sighed and made his way up the stairs, grumbling complaints to himself about Hyungwon still sleeping and thinking about the phone calls he's been receiving.

_"Hey is Hyungwon busy?"_

_"Minhyuk?"_

_"Hm? Oh, you're probably wondering- Soonyoung gave me your number. Anyway, I've been trying to call Hyungwon for the past few days and he hasn't been answering, is he okay?"_

_"Uhh he should be fine, I haven't heard anything from him either, but then again he was never much of a caller. When was the last time you spoke to him?"_

_"Three days ago, I left on a trip with my brother."_

_"...I know what he's doing. Have a fun time during your trip Minhyuk, you don't need to worry about Hyungwon."_

_"Yeah but I want to-"_

_"Gotta go, I'll make sure he calls you!"_

_-_

_"Hello?"_

_"Hey! Kihyun... Sorry if I'm annoying you but..."_

_"Hyungwon didn't call you yet..."_

_"..."_

_"I'll talk to him again today, sorry."_

_"No! It's fine, just wondering what he's doing, could you tell me because-"_

_"I gotta go, sorry Minhyuk!"_

_-_

_"Yes?"_

_"Oh, am I interrupting something?"_

_"No, not really. Do you think a vanilla cake with chocolate icing sounds good or should it just be one flavor for the whole cake?"_

_"Is marble an option?"_

_"You think that would be better?"_

_"If you can't choose between two, always get marble. Anyway, about Hyungwon, did you talk to him yesterday?"_

_"He still hasn't called you?!"_

_"He hasn't been answering either."_

_"...Okay, I'll see him again after I'm finished picking the right icing, thanks, by the way."_

_"Wait Kihyun!"_

_"Hm?"_

_"Why won't you tell me what he's doing?"_

_"To preserve the image you have of him."_

_"What's that supposed to-"_

_-_

Throwing the blanket off the bed he scrunched up his nose at the smell blowing against his face following the action. Grabbing the legs that came in sight he began to pull, succeeding in moving the rest of the body enough to disturb Hyungwon's sleep.

"Hyungwon."

"Mmph," the reply came from the pillows, Kihyun slapped the man's ass and repeated his name. "I regret giving you the spare key," the new reply could be heard clearer this time.

"You're lucky I don't just pepper spray you awake."

"Why are you so obsessed with pepper spray?" Hyungwon finally turned over, his eyes were still closed and he looked thoroughly pissed but Kihyun just moved to open the curtains.

The light filling the room pushed Hyungwon back under the bedsheets and squeezed a whine out of the tall male.

"I just want to know what it's like," Kihyun said with a smile before turning serious. "You didn't call Minhyuk."

"Yeah I did." Hyungwon pointed his finger in the air then dropped it to search for his phone.

Finding it underneath his pillow he squinted at the screen and tried to open his call log. Seeing how bright it was too early in the afternoon he held it out for Kihyun to take.

"You had his number open but you never hit call."

"I'll do it later."

"Hyungwon." Kihyun voiced.

Hyungwon shuffled in the sheets before coming to his senses.

"Press call for me."

"You better not fall asleep while waiting for him to pick up- oh, Minhyuk, you answered fast."

The short conversation the two had about him kept him awake, he frowned when Kihyun pulled the covers from over his face and let the light in again.

"Hmm?" He hummed, feeling the cold screen of his phone touch his cheek.

"Hyungwon do you want the coat I sent to you?"

"What coat?" he rubbed his eyes and waved to Kihyun before the door to his bedroom fully shut.

"You really haven't looked at your phone this whole time? What have you been doing since I left? Geez." Hyungwon tried to sit up but failed and decided his body needed to wake up a little more before he attempted motion.

"Sleeping."

"This whole time?" Hyungwon nodded, forgetting Minhyuk wasn't actually in the room with him. "Whatever, do you like the coat or not?"

"How much is it?"

"I forgot."

"Then no," Hyungwon finally got up to clean himself, grimacing at the taste in his mouth and the smell of his clothes.

"Did you even see it yet?"

"Don't get it, you've seen how many coats I have."

"Look at it first. If you still don't want it then I won't get it." Hyungwon rolled his eyes and opened his messaging app, there were a few more texts than just the picture, but they were all telling him to answer his phone.

The picture made Hyungwon laugh slightly. Minhyuk was standing in front of a full body mirror inside some sort of dressing room holding up a coat stylistically similar to the one he was wearing, the only difference being the size. "You want couple coats."

"Basically, yeah. I think they look nice." Hyungwon could almost see the embarrassed look on Minhyuk's face since Hyungwon didn't react the way he thought he would.

"Get them," he laughed, already imagining how they would look standing next to each other.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, buy them, they're cute." He changed his shirt and made his way down the stairs.

"Are you really sure?" Hyungwon laughed, his feet getting lighter on the way to the kitchen.

"I'm sure. What are you doing right now, anyway?"

"Making a snack, have you really been sleeping the whole time I've been gone?"

"If I said yes?" Hyungwon opened the fridge, holding his stomach as he felt his hunger finally get to him.

"I can't believe you." Minhyuk's voice got lower and Hyungwon assumed he took a bite of whatever he was eating.

"I mean I ate at times... I think, but I would just go to sleep right after. I'm... Resting. We did a lot when you were here."

"What are you talking about?" Hyungwon lazily smiled when Minhyuk paused to swallow. "We slept a whole day that one time."

Hyungwon couldn't come up with another excuse and silently pulled the food Kihyun bought out of the fridge. He checked the contents and smelled it to evaluate the freshness. Shrugging, he threw the Styrofoam in the microwave, watching it just in case it began to burn.

"Hyungwon," Minhyuk's voice came from the counter and said male blinked, remembering the other wasn't physically there.

Hyungwon took one last look at the heating food before grabbing his phone and bringing it with him to watch. "Will I really die if I heat something up in a Styrofoam box and eat it?"

"I do it all the time," Hyungwon smiled then almost dropped his phone when a popping noise came from the microwave.

"So how's your trip with your brother?" Hyungwon inspected the food before starting up the microwave again.

"Fun, my nephew is so cute. Oh! Another thing I wanted to ask you while you were sleeping. Can you visit the orphanage? I think Mark needs help."

Hyungwon pursed his lips, "Please~" Minhyuk begged.

"Yeah, I'll go after I eat... What's the address?"

"Uhh... I'll tell Mark to text it to you." Hyungwon snorted and took the heated food out of the microwave.

"You don't know the address but you've been going there for how long now?"

"Hey! You start to just remember when to turn instead of where.

-

"Kihyun? What are you doing here?" Hyungwon waved to Gyo as he slid into the back seat. "It's been a while, how are you?" he asked his driver, he only got a shrug and the sound of the car starting as a reply.

"Just buying stuff for tomorrow, where are you going? I thought you would just go back to sleep after finishing your call with Minhyuk. Is he coming back today?"

"Yeah but later tonight, he wanted me to help out his brother." Hyungwon assumed his usual pose inside the vehicle, scooting his butt off the seat until it was almost off the edge and slouching into the back cushion.

And as Kihyun would always do, he chided the other slightly by patting his leg harder than usual. Hyungwon shooed his hand away and they both smiled at the familiar feeling. "I thought he said he was on a trip with his brother."

"He has two, one's adopted and runs an orphanage, his name is Mark, and his other one is his biological brother, I don't know his name..." Hyungwon trailed off. Kihyun clicked his tongue but surprisingly didn't ask about it.

"When do you think you'll be done?" Hyungwon could see the calendar app being opened on Kihyun's phone.

"I'm not really sure," he checked the time on his own phone, "around ten? Why?"

Kihyun shrugged and put his phone back in his pocket, "I was thinking we haven't been out together in a long time so I was going to ask if you wanted to come over."

The car slowed down and the windows were full of lights and people and buildings, Hyungwon didn't have much time to think before he knew it, he was making a 's' sound as Kihyun got out of the door.

-

"Did you make it here alright?" Mark walked Hyungwon inside, wrapping his arm around the shivering male.

"Yeah, thanks for helping us, I think we would still be driving around if I didn't call you." Mark laughed and brought him inside the playroom where the atmosphere was noticeably warmer than the harsh rain outside.

"No problem, thanks for helping, sorry Minhyuk sent you out in weather like this, though" Hyungwon was about to ask about the blond further but a child clung to his leg and shrieked his name.

"Chan!" he screamed back. He spotted his bracelet and smiled. He ruffled the child's hair and picked him up, groaning and causing the boy to laugh. "You're heavy." He looked to Mark but he was already attending to the rest of the children. He saw Jackson playing with other kids on a mat and although he would be glad to help, Mark didn't look like he needed any.

There was a poke to his cheek and he brought his attention back to the child in his arms. Smiling, he set the younger down and held out his finger for hands to wrap themselves around. "Mark, is there anything you want me to do?" The male came down from a small step stool to whisper Hyungwon's duties.

"Chan's been really down lately, do you think you could cheer him up? I know we shouldn't be giving him false hope like this but I don't think it'll go away if we just ignore it." There was a squeeze to his finger and Hyungwon nodded, bringing Chan back into the playroom to find something to pretend to do.

"Where's Mister Minhyuk?" The curious voice came, Hyungwon smiled and organized the blocks so they would fit inside the container.

"He's with his brother."

"Mister Mark?"

"No, his other brother." Hyungwon patted his head and moved towards the art center, where colored pencils and crayons lay scattered on the floor and marker caps were mismatched.

"Another brother? Is he going to sew buttons in Mister Minhyuk's eyes?" Despite the fact Chan was horrified, Hyungwon laughed and brought the boy into his lap, getting comfortable on the stained carpet.

"That's just in the movies Chan, you can't sew buttons into people's eyes. Minhyuk and his brother love each other, Mister Minhyuk will be back." With a short pause, Chan came to a conclusion and nodded to himself.

"Mister Minhyuk always comes back." Hyungwon felt something swell in his chest he nodded along and held the boy tighter.

"Mister Hyungwon?" Chan spoke up after a few more moments in silent.

"Yes, Chan?"

"Do you think I'll ever get adopted?" Hearing those words, Hyungwon spun Chan around in his lap so that he could see the red eyes causing tears to form. Brushing Chan's hair back, he smiled more than he was before and nodded.

"You're an amazing boy, Chan, I can't see why anyone wouldn't want you. You're smart and you can dance."

"Then... will you adopt me?" Chan looked down and Hyungwon felt his heart constrict in his chest. His smile faltered and he was glad the boy was unable to see it.

"Chan, you're very important to me," hopeful eyes looked up to him and he swallowed the lump in his throat, "that's why I gave you the bracelet but..." As he trailed off the hope in Chan's eyes faded and he felt his face go hot. "It wouldn't be fair to the other kids if I took you, would it? They might think I don't like them."

Eyes looked down again and a sniffle could be heard. Chan wiped his eyes and took off the bracelet, Hyungwon watched silently.

"You don't talk to the other kids..." Hyungwon opened his mouth to explain more but Chan continued, "Mister Mark told me you would adopt me... Mister Mark's a liar."

"Mister Mark's not a liar," Hyungwon coaxed the younger to look up at him, the tears spilled and ran down round cheeks, Hyungwon wiped them away. "I would adopt you, but I can't." More tears were made and Hyungwon bit his lip, trying to figure out what to say.

"I can't adopt you but I promise I'll come here more often to see you, I'll go straight to you. I can't do anything before saying hi to you, okay?" Chan was holding the bracelet tightly, pulling at the sides as if he was going to break it.

"Do you remember what I promised when I gave you that bracelet?" Chan nodded slowly and stopped his actions.

"Y-you said y-you w-would come b-back," he said between soft sobs. Hyungwon nodded and continued on from the statement.

"As long as you have it, I promise I'll always come back one day, okay?" Chan nodded and rubbed at his eyes again. Hyungwon pulled him close and rocked him to stop the tears. He looked down at scheduled times and there was a soft bell he could hear in the distance followed by Jackson's voice telling all the children to eat.

The thought of stirring the boy so he could eat flashed throughout Hyungwon's other thoughts but a scenario of him having to leave while Chan was lucid played out in his brain and he decided it would be best to bring him towards the bedroom.

When breaths slowed and evened out, he checked the younger's face to find that he was sleeping completely. "You shouldn't tell kids that they're going to be adopted," he told Mark in a tone that held a little bit of accusation but Mark knew it came from the worry Hyungwon had towards the boy.

"You won't? You enjoy his company, I know you do."

"I'm not fit to be a parent," Hyungwon admit, running his fingers through the soft strands covering Chan's scalp.

"Says who?" Mark challenged. Hyungwon looked him straight in the eyes.

"Mark, I don't know what a parent is like, I have no idea how to care for a child, what he would need, how to teach him things. If I adopt him it's practically the same or even worse as him living here, no offense."

"Wrong," Mark stated bluntly, Hyungwon looked at the boy's sleeping face. "He's happier when he's with you. You understand him better than I do, and you know what he needs. Hyungwon, you love him and that's all you need to do."

"And if I mess up? What if I make him hate me sometime along the way? What if I hurt him? Will he still want to be with me?" Hyungwon's face was emotionless but the entrance to his soul was clouded by sadness.

"Hyungwon is there something else that's bothering you?" With a shake of his head, the clouds were gone and replaced by a dull color. Mark blinked and stared.

"I'm fine, I just can't adopt Chan, at least not now. Sorry, I couldn't help much, Mark. I'd be glad to help anytime but for now, I think I have to go."

"Hyungwon you can tell me-" Hyungwon stood and left the room, a couple of seconds later, as Mark was watching Chan sleep, he could hear the sound of the front door closing and thunder boom throughout the sky above.

"It's okay everyone. Jackson, the kids are less scared than you." He screamed out the door. Taking one last look at Chan, he closed his eyes in a silent prayer before going to help his scared boyfriend.

-

"Dude, you're soaking," Kihyun stated, letting Hyungwon inside before disappearing down a hallway, Hyungwon guessed right when Kihyun came back with a towel.

"It's only raining outside. Thank you." He pushed the towel into his hair and scrubbed all the drops away. He moved towards Kihyun's kitchen were different ingredients were set on the counter. Hyungwon raised his eyebrow. "You brought me over to watch you cook?"

"I brought you over to teach you how to cook," Kihyun corrected. Bringing out a cup of hot coffee Hyungwon warmed himself with.

"I can't even cook ramen the right way, you're expecting me to learn how to cook something from scratch?" Kihyun clicked his tongue at the taller.

"You need to know how to cook if you want to impress your significant other."

"And what if I don't want to?" Hyungwon grinned, taking a sip of the steaming drink. Kihyun gave him a look and he simply raised an eyebrow to comply. Rolling his eyes, Kihyun turned the stove on and brought a pan out of the oven. "Come watch."

Hyungwon dragged the stool over to the side where he could see Kihyun no matter where he moved in the kitchen. He immersed himself into the coffee at first but the sound of vegetables mixing with hot oil caught his attention and the view created a bittersweet feeling in his heart.

Kihyun looked elegant, pushing the oil to different parts of the heated pan so effortlessly. His hands holding the tools enough so that they wouldn't slip or be unable to move. His face relaxed into a natural smile that Hyungwon had always admired. The way he would close his eyes to smell what he was making, to make sure it wasn't burning. Hyungwon had dreamed of this moment several times, where he would see Kihyun in the kitchen, making something for him to eat.

He sighed into his coffee and took another sip, Kihyun wasn't cooking for him only, he was cooking for everyone coming to the party the next day. He thought about how he would usually feel, he would have gone home right when Kihyun suggested the culinary act, but now he got up and actually tried to pay attention to what Kihyun was doing.

"So you just cut it and put it in oil?" Kihyun clicked his tongue.

"You have to make sure the pieces you cut are even and small or else you're going to cook them unevenly, and you can't put too much oil because it'll make whoever's eating it feel sick." Hyungwon nodded, making mental notes and plans. He felt the need to get a weight off his chest and it didn't help knowing exactly what the weight was.

"You always cook the vegetables first, and never all the way because when you add the meat it'll still cook everything so if the vegetables are cooked all the way they'll be burnt by the time the meat is done."

Hyungwon stopped his hand from touching the stove, he held them behind his back and continued to nod. The want to tell Kihyun and get the burden off his chest was immense but he needed to figure out the series of words that would come out before attempting the confession.

"Oh, and don't burn your house down or yourself, make sure the burners are off when you're done and move the handle over the counter, not the other burners. Move the pan to the other side if you want to keep cooking something else."

When Kihyun turned around, Hyungwon stopped him. The taller thought about how many scenarios he's thought of playing out after this moment and he couldn't help but feel disgusted at the part of him that still wondered what it would be like. "Kihyun I liked you," he breathed. The shorter blinked and stared for a moment before continuing the preparation for tomorrow's meals.

"I know."

"I mean, it wasn't just like- I loved you- but I don't want you to feel bad or scold me for cheating because the only reason I'm able to tell you now is-"

"Hyungwon," Kihyun interjected, smiling down at the carrots being broken into small bits, "I know."

"You know?" Hyungwon's brows furrowed.

"I guess now it would be that I knew. I knew you loved me, this whole time." Hyungwon blinked and Kihyun almost cut his hand when he heard the taller stumble.

"Hyungwon? Are you okay?" Kihyun put down all his kitchen utensils to put his attention on the younger

"My whole life I thought you would be disgusted and leave me if I told you but you've known all along?" There was something more than dumbfoundedness in Hyungwon's tone and Kihyun decided a little space should be given till Hyungwon was a little more calm.

"Hyungwon, you're my best friend, I would never abandon you for something like that. If you asked me out before Hyunwoo I honestly think I would have said yes." Hyungwon's face drew blank and seeing there was no real threat, Kihyun moved closer.

"I'm sorry for not telling you and ignoring it but knowing you, knowing my best friend, you would freak out and think I was only going out with you because I felt bad. I still feel bad because I realized I've been hurting you more by going out and getting engaged to Hyunwoo but-" Hyungwon's eyes were closed, he didn't want to see the sympathetic look Kihyun was giving him. He felt Kihyun's hand move away from his shoulder and a feeling he didn't know washed over him, causing tears to build up.

"Hyungwon, you're happier with Minhyuk. I see it, I see how easy it is for you to smile, I've heard how hard you laugh at his jokes, I know how much you hate getting up and seen how fast you would move to make Minhyuk happy. I watched your love towards me move towards Minhyuk."

Kihyun opened his mouth and a short sound made it's way out but he closed it right after. It wasn't fast enough for the sound to fall deaf on Hyungwon's ears, "What?"

Kihyun hesitated for a moment before sighing and standing, finishing up the next ingredients that needed to be fried. "I don't know why you get so scared."

"I..." Hyungwon started. Kihyun hummed to let Hyungwon know he was listening. "I didn't know I loved him."

Kihyun snorted, "What do you mean you didn't know you loved him?"

"I didn't think I could love anyone but..."

"Dear lord don't say 'but you' to me," Hyungwon blushed behind Kihyun's back, twiddling his thumbs in his lap "Oh my-"

"What?" Hyungwon defended himself but wouldn't allow his eyes to meet Kihyun's. "You're the only person that's been in my life since childhood, you know I've never had a good parental figure, I don't even think I know what love is. All I knew was that I wanted you to be safe and stay happy. I wanted to be the one to keep you happy but I don't even do that."

Hyungwon slouched over an empty space on the counter, Kihyun peeked at his posture and sighed, turning off the stove again so he could set everything down.

"First of all you do make me happy, I'll remind you again that you're my best friend. Second of all, that is love, wanting to be the one that makes me happy on top of wanting that for me in the first place." Hyungwon peeked up from his arms, Kihyun could see the red in them and softened his gaze.

"Can I ask you a few questions?" Hyungwon returned his gaze to the countertop and hid once more after nodding.

"Do you worry about Minhyuk's happiness?" Hyungwon's head moved in a nod. "Have you ever wondered about his safety?" Hyungwon nodded again. "Do you want to be with him?"

"Yes but-" Hyungwon lifted his head up but paused when he saw the smirk Kihyun had on his face.

"But?"

"But he deserves better."

Kihyun rolled his eyes and put his hands on the counter, "Everyone thinks that. I'm sure Minhyuk thinks that way about you. Hell, I don't even think I'm the perfect person for Hyunwoo. Part of loving someone is wanting to give them the best and you might never think you're it but that's the great part, because as long as that mindset is there, the relationship will just keep getting better."

"How long have you and Hyunwoo been together again?"

"Four years?"

Hyungwon's phone vibrated in his pocket and he brought himself to the edge of the counter so he could look at it without facing Kihyun. He wiped his eyes to clear his vision and felt his mood get brighter when he saw the name.

'Mind if I crash at your house? I need an excuse to keep my bags packed for a little longer.' He felt the corner of his mouth lift up before the other and he texted a reply without noticing the straightening of his vertebrae.

When he put his phone back in his pocket and got up to head home Kihyun was already cooking again and waving him out the door. He embraced the gentle atmosphere a bit longer, letting himself let go of his romantic feelings towards Kihyun completely before heading out.

"Oh, Kihyun?" Hyungwon stopped the door from closing last minute, "From your perspective, when do you think I fell in love with Minhyuk?"

He waited for a while before he heard Kihyun say, "I can't exactly pinpoint the moment you fell in love with him but when you two went to the fair together you definitely liked him. You said you were sleeping in that day yet you let Minhyuk take you to a place with thousands of people, and you aren't exactly a fan of crowded places."

"How did you..."

"Social media. And that one article. You can't hide anything from your fans, or your manager."

"Oh..." He let the door close before running through the crack again. "Kihyun?"

"Yes, Hyungwon?" The reply came with a laugh.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

-

"For someone who hasn't answered their phone once, you sure missed me," Minhyuk stated with a smile. "Thanks for letting me stay- wait Hyungwon you don't have to-" Minhyuk's outstretched arm stopped midway before moving back to touch Hyungwon's shoulder as they kissed.

"I want to," Hyungwon whispered then gave another small peck to Minhyuk's lips before making his way to the inside of his apartment.

"You know," Minhyuk made sure the door closed all the way before following Hyungwon up the stairs, "I don't hate it but you seem happier."

"I noticed how happy I get when I'm with you I- woah," Hyungwon's cheeks turned pink when his foot slipped and Minhyuk could be heard laughing at his trip, "I haven't felt it in so long. I guess it's just a bit overwhelming."

"Pft, I can't make you that happy." Minhyuk opened the door for him only to see his bags go flying in before his face was between two hands and a pair of lips was pressed against his for the third time that evening.

"You make me happier than sleep." Hyungwon pressed their foreheads together and closed his eyes. Minhyuk smiled up at the younger, bringing his hand up to cup at his cheeks as well. He squished them together and enjoyed the slight annoyance in Hyungwon's facial features before smoothening it out and tilting his head to place his lips between two eyebrows.

Hyungwon's arms moved down towards Minhyuk's sides and brought him closer, slouching to hide his head between Minhyuk's shoulder and chin, breathing him in then moving him towards the area of his bed. They laid next to each other for a while, Minhyuk stroking Hyungwon's hair while being squeezed as Hyungwon made sure he was actually real and there.

"You're not sleeping are you?"

"No."

"Good, because if you don't brush your teeth before going to bed I think I might break up with you," Minhyuk teased and gave Hyungwon a starting push towards the bathroom.

They cleaned themselves in silence, stealing glances at each other in the mirror while brushing their teeth and changing as the other emptied their bladder. When they were finally in bed again, under the covers this time, Minhyuk was the one to initiate the cuddling.

He moved his wrist under Hyungwon's neck to play with the hair there and his other hand touched Hyungwon's cheek. Hyungwon's hands were simply on Minhyuk's hip and back. The first to touch the other's legs was Minhyuk by accident and Hyungwon had hissed telling him his feet were cold. From then, a game of footsies developed before they settled to simply intertwining their legs.

"Did you cry?" Minhyuk's thumb came to rub the skin underneath Hyungwon's eye. Hyungwon touched the hand with his own before setting it back on Minhyuk's hip.

"Yeah, I'm fine, though." He grinned and turned his head slightly to kiss Minhyuk's palm. He hummed at the feeling of two hands in his hair and closed his eyes for a moment.

"So tell me again, what's got you in such a great mood?" Minhyuk blinked sleepily.

"I just realized how happy you make me, and how stupid I was for overthinking it." Minhyuk laughed and tucked a few strands of Hyungwon's hair behind his ear before retracting his hand to cover his mouth as he yawned.

"I'm glad you realized..." His eyes closed and Hyungwon watched all Minhyuk's facial features relax along with the rest of Minhyuk's body parts before Minhyuk fell asleep.

"Goodnight Minhyuk," Hyungwon kissed the top of the blonde's head, bringing him closer so he could rest his chin on the light hair. When Minhyuk's hand went limp he decided to whisper one last thing before letting sleep consume him.

"I hope I'll be able to say it when you're awake but..." The hand behind Hyungwon's head twitched, "I love you." 


	10. Nostalgia

Heavy eyelids opened for a moment and Hyungwon realized how cold he was, the covers had him inside a cocoon but his other source of heat the night before was absent and he silently prayed he didn't imagine everything.

His worries were calmed when the sound of his toilet flushing down the hall reached his ears and footsteps became evident as his company returned to bed.

He heard Minhyuk sigh as he got back into the covers, shivering slightly from how different the temperatures were, having his eyes closed he tried to guess whether Minhyuk was facing him or not. He feigned a groan and roll as a test and his cover was dropped when he was met with nothing.

"You really suck at acting," Minhyuk's voice came from a little farther, "Good morning."

Hyungwon let one of his eyelids raise at the greeting, and the sight in front of him was enough encouragement for the other lid to follow. Minhyuk had his head propped on top of his hand and his elbow created elevation for the resting spot. Hyungwon could feel Minhyuk's other hand searching for his and they met halfway. With their fingers laced, Hyungwon responded with a tight squeeze and a lazy smile.

"Coffee?" Minhyuk asked, unlacing their fingers to trace the lines on Hyungwon's palm absently. Hyungwon waited for a moment, almost drifting back to sleep enjoying the feeling of Minhyuk being there with him. After another five seconds, he finally nodded and his warmth was once again gone.

Needing another distraction so his brain could get used to functioning, he checked his phone, checking old messages. Seeing a link Kihyun sent a while ago, he changed the position of his phone to landscape and pressed play.

The opening was a logo and he wondered why Kihyun sent it to him but as the screen changed from the introduction to the actual content a conversation he barely remembered came to mind and grin plastered itself on Hyungwon's face.

The first thing he noticed was the fact Minhyuk was wearing sunglasses in one shot but none in another, raising his eyebrow at the thought of Minhyuk performing it twice. He couldn't keep a small laugh from coming out of his mouth when Minhyuk began to sing. His voice was higher than he usually spoke and Hyungwon reasoned with his age.

He forced his eyes open no matter how much they wanted to look away from the amount of cringe. Keeping his eyes on the past version of his boyfriend he couldn't watch any longer as the glasses were taken off. He threw the phone to another part of the bed but ended up crawling back, wondering what he would do next.

Cutting Minhyuk a bit of slack from the way he was able to move his hips it was only given back when Minhyuk moved towards the runway to hold the mic out to the crowd. Being unable to take anymore he broke into hysterics and the same person he was laughing at came into the room with a worried expression.

"What are you-" Minhyuk heard the familiar noise of a video he's been taunted about too many times. "How did you even find that??"

Hyungwon tried to answer right away but every time he opened his mouth all that could be understood was the sound of "hahahaha"

Minhyuk grabbed a pillow and immediately brought it down onto Hyungwon's open-mouthed face. The latter watched the pillow come closer to his face, giggles creating a late reaction to the slight harm he was about to receive. The pillow was held in place for a while, Minhyuk let up only when Hyungwon's legs began to thrash beneath him.

Heavy breathing resounded through the room and Hyungwon opened his eyes only to grin but held his arms up in front of his face when he saw the pillow raise again. "Okay, okay! I'm done." The pillow returned to the bed without any malice but got picked up again rather harshly when Hyungwon sighed shakily.

Struggling to hold Minhyuk's arms away from him and keeping them still so the pillow wouldn't cut off his breathing again, he apologized with more laughter.

Eventually, Minhyuk gave up and threw the pillow away, ripping his arms out of Hyungwon's grasp to storm out of the room only to have his wrist brought in the other direction and the rest of his body going the wrong way. Hyungwon's arms wrapped around him, keeping him still throughout the struggling.

"I like it," Hyungwon's voice was steadier than it would have been before but it didn't stop Minhyuk from throwing his elbow back in attempts to hit the younger. "I really do! You're cute," Hyungwon continued, burying his face in Minhyuk's neck in attempts to calm him down.

"Shut up, who showed you?"

"I asked Kihyun to find the video after you told me about it," Hyungwon tried to find Minhyuk's hands to lace their fingers together, Minhyuk put up a fight, holding his hands in fists but eventually giving in with a sigh.

"I'm killing whoever gave him the link in the first place, I think it was Mark." Glad the anger was off of him, he maintained his grip, hoping to spare Mark a lecture.

"If it does end up being Mark, remind me to thank him," Hyungwon tried to lighten the mood but Minhyuk wasn't having it, hating the video with every fiber of his body.

"Whatever, let go so we could eat breakfast, we have to be at Kihyun's by six,"

Letting go and rolling to face the ceiling, Hyungwon asked, "What time is it now?"

"It's around twelve, but we haven't eaten anything nor do we have a gift and someone I know tends to take forever to get ready." Hyungwon could feel the weight shift on the bed and tilted his head to the side so he could watch Minhyuk head back towards the kitchen. Facing the ceiling again, his eyes began to close and his mouth remained upturned for a second longer before he yawned and sat up.

-

"Are you really going to get them that? It's their engagement party Hyungwon."

"You don't understand, Kihyun has this weird thing with pepper spray, he'd love this." Hyungwon smiled down at the artificial pepper spray keychains.

"What about Hyunwoo?" Minhyuk scanned the aisle again, spotting a small basket in the corner before giving his attention to Hyungwon again.

"Hyunwoo's always happy with whatever Kihyun's happy with," Hyungwon turned the keychains over to make sure of the price before.

"We should still get something that he'd like. Is there anything you can think of?" Hyungwon shook his head slowly.

"He's you best friend's boyfriend, wait no, your best friend's soon to be husband, and you can't think of one thing the guy likes?" Hyungwon flailed his arms in defense.

"Hey it's not like we're buddy-buddy, at least not anymore. I've practically been avoiding the guy for the past four years. The only thing I remember is that he loves working out." Minhyuk rolled his eyes, taking another look around the store.

There wasn't too much, it was a cute craft store with two sections, machine made and hand made. There weren't any couple items in the latter, and it takes at least a week for a customized craft to be done, so he knew it would be best if they bought something from the other side. Either way, he wasn't going to just let Hyungwon give them keychains.

"Do you think they would like this?" He walked over to a hand-weaved basket and picked it up to check the price on the bottom. It wasn't too bad, thirty, and it was a good size as well. He held it out for Hyungwon to inspect as he looked for novelties to fill it with.

"Wait Kihyun likes cooking right?" Minhyuk turned to see Hyungwon right behind him. He looked up as Hyungwon nodded then took a step back to take the basket and set it back down.

"We should make it in a pot then. C'mon, I know exactly where we'll be buying everything. With an excited Minhyuk dragging him back out the door he suddenly dug his heels into the ground, effectively pulling Minhyuk back into his chest.

"Can we get the keychains?" Hyungwon begged like a child. Minhyuk looked up from his stance before nodding and letting go of the younger.

"I'll bring the car up."

-

"Hey," the two males huffed out at the same time, holding one handle each. Kihyun stood amused at the sight for a while before letting them in. There were already a few people there, Hyungwon recognized some of them as he and Minhyuk made their way to where the rest of the presents were set.

Once their arms were relieved of the heavy load Hyungwon gasped and shook them out in hopes he wouldn't get a cramp, he spotted Minhyuk doing the same but felt embarrassed as it wasn't that exaggerated.

Seeing the color on Hyungwon's cheeks Minhyuk smirked and pat Hyungwon's shoulder as he made his way towards the food, waving to strangers he didn't know on his way. Hyungwon watched him in disbelief before giving his attention to the woman walking up to him.

"Mrs. Yoo, nice to see you again, it's been a while."

"How are you, Hyungwon?" She asked after their extended hug. "Is that who I think it is?" Hyungwon blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, it's Minhyuk, he's one of my co-actors, we met during the filming of my most recent show-"

"He's even more handsome in person, you've got a good one Hyungwon, he's known for being an honest actor." She tipped the end of the glass she was holding in the direction of the blond. Feeling eyes on him, Minhyuk looked up from his plate and waved with a smile, Kihyun's mom laughed gently, moving her fingers away from the glass then bringing them back a couple of times in a response.

"What do you mean, by an honest actor?" Hyungwon asked, turning his head back around.

"He keeps his acting life and personal life separate, very humble. Everyone wants to manage him, even I asked him and he rejected me. Yet he keeps us as friends, a small tease but very friendly."

"Minhyuk doesn't have a manager?" The woman shook her head, earrings, chiming gently.

"He's self-managed, for now anyway, I heard Hongbin's back in town and-"

"Mom!" Kihyun's voice came from somewhere and the woman turned to see her son waving her over.

"Sorry Hyungwon, you know how Kihyun gets so I'll be off. I like what you did with your hair, by the way." She ruffled it then left before Kihyun had another chance of calling her.

"Hey there, aren't you going to eat?" Minhyuk bumped the side of Hyungwon's hips with his own, smiling with a chicken wing between his teeth. Hyungwon looked back at the kitchen, there were several people simply chatting and knowing himself he would end up dropping the food.

"Maybe later. Don't you want to sit down?" Hyungwon asked, watching Minhyuk struggle, only slightly, to hold his drink and scoop noodles into his mouth at the same time. Hyungwon reached and held the drink for him then began walking towards a room he knew wouldn't be as crowded.

There were still people, but he saw two open seats on the couch so he stuck with his original plan and made his way over. When they sat he watched two other occupants in the room play billiards as Minhyuk ate. The table was moved towards the center of the room and after paying attention to who was actually playing he realized how familiar they were.

"Jooheon and Changkyun?" He mumbled to himself, Minhyuk seemed to hear and hummed in agreement as he finished his bite of food. "I was surprised too, I'm guessing Hyunwoo invited them, I always see them talking when Hyunwoo comes to set not glued to Kihyun's side." Hyungwon nodded and continued to watch them.

After Minhyuk left to throw his food away he came back and approached the two playing, challenging Jooheon to a game. Hyungwon couldn't hear what Minhyuk said to Changkyun over the noise in the other room but it caused an offended face to appear and he couldn't keep himself from snickering. Minhyuk gave Changkyun a pat on the shoulder and sent him on his way to sit next to Hyungwon.

"Hey, how are you with him? He's a jerk," Changkyun whined, plopping himself down on the couch in a child-like manner. Hyungwon smiled and touched his shoulder in comfort.

"Is he good?" Hyungwon asked, watching Minhyuk laugh at something Jooheon said. Changkyun made a dismissing sound and shooed away an imaginary fly.

"Nah, he sucks-" There was a small crack as the cue ball hit the formed triangle the rest of the colored spheres spread away, a solid one falling into the top right corner. Changkyun coughed and looked away, Hyungwon laughed at the comment.

"It was just a lucky-" another crack sounded throughout the room as Minhyuk got another solid into the hole.

"Whatever," Changkyun stood and made his way towards the kitchen, grumbling to himself about how much of a jerk Minhyuk is. A loud complaint was heard and Jooheon looked relieved, finally able to take a shot himself, only to miss out of overconfidence. A presence was felt at his side and he turned to find his best friend sitting and watching.

"Did you invite them?" Hyungwon pointed to Jooheon then gestured to the kitchen. Kihyun looked at the two, craning his neck to see the latter.

"Oh, no, but they're friends with Hyunwoo, they told me they're getting him to dance later, you and him should do something together." Hyungwon made a face and eyed Kihyun with disapproval. Kihyun took his time to actually acknowledge the look, slowly turning his attention from the players to the person sitting next to him.

"Aw c'mon Hyungwon, please, birthday gift?"

"If you want a birthday gift you could just take my money now." Hyungwon rolled his eyes but stood anyway, Kihyun would just ask again.

"Do you have a song in mind?" Kihyun thought about all the songs he knew, after shaking his head, Hyungwon turned his heels to find the husband.

-

"Where have you been this whole time and why are you so sweaty?" Minhyuk stood from the couch where he was watching with Changkyun to follow Hyungwon towards the cooler for a water bottle.

Hyungwon downed at least half the bottle and took deep breaths before capping it and answering with, "You'll see soon, I'll be back, I have to make sure it's decent." He set the bottle in Minhyuk's hands before walking off but returned to make direct eye contact and demand Minhyuk to stay put and not follow him.

Breaking the rule with his eyes, Minhyuk saw Jooheon in the same state coming down to grab two bottles then heading back in the direction he came from. Keeping Hyungwon to his word he grabbed a bottle himself and walked back over to Changkyun.

"Ow, what the-" Minhyuk laughed and threw the bottle into Changkyun's lap, causing the surprised male to close up from the cool feeling.

A few minutes later, Changkyun got revenge and held the bottle up to Minhyuk's neck. Before Minhyuk could one-up the other, sounds of people cheering came from the game room pulling their attention and their bodies to see what the event was.

The pool table was moved against a wall to create more space and Hyunwoo was fiddling with the stereo, pressing something on his phone and shocking everyone to silence when the bass from the song shook the entire room.

Minhyuk and Changkyun managed to squeeze their way through the crowd in time to see Kihyun giving a short introduction for the three now standing in the corner. Minhyuk waved to Hyungwon and tilted his head in question. Hyungwon nodded with a shy smile and blushed when Minhyuk beamed.

When Kihyun finished and the cheers erupted Hyunwoo tried to quiet them with motions before starting the music. As the rhythm played Minhyuk watched in fascination as Hyungwon's whole demeanor changed from shy to confident, he even winked at Minhyuk on the way to his spot.

As the song played, Minhyuk found himself mouthing the lyrics and blushing as Hyungwon made it his duty to maintain a smirk and eye-contact with his boyfriend as much as possible.  Minhyuk broke it for a moment, catching Kihyun's eyes and blushing more from the look on the host's face. He covered his mouth with his hand and kept his eyes on Jooheon, only to have them drifting back to his point of interest.

Regret about standing to the side bloomed because he should have known the dancers were going to use a move that allowed Hyungwon to point directly at him as the lyrics went, "If you're sexy and you know it" and ultimately make his face go red.

As the song slowed the slightest, the three moved around in a short freestyle moment and Hyungwon continued to paint red onto Minhyuk's cheeks for the rest of the song by opening his arms wide as he spun, spotting the blond all the while. As the rest of the dance went by, Hyungwon kept up his act and Minhyuk mentally cursed him for it.

When the song finally ended, cheers erupted throughout the house and Kihyun ran up to hug Hyunwoo with a red face, apparently, Hyunwoo was doing the same thing. Checking Changkyun's expression, he laughed when the other feigned passing out.

He saw Hyungwon's shadow looming over him and he looked up as if Hyungwon hadn't done anything the whole time. "It was alright," he commented, failing to hold in his smile.

"Shut up I saw your blush, all, 'Oh Hyungwon's so hot and dreamy,'" He laughed and brought Minhyuk into a hug when he tried to walk away from the teasing.

"I sound nothing like that..." He avoided any possibilities of Hyungwon seeing his face but couldn't help and ask, "Did you make that up just now? Like, today?" He felt Hyungwon shake his head.

"Hyunwoo and I had that planned for Kihyun's birthday one time but we never got to perform, we just taught Jooheon."

"Why'd you add Jooheon?"

"He was the one that wanted Hyunwoo to dance, which led to Kihyun wanting me to dance, so we made him dance. He learns fast."

-

"Do you think anyone at the party took a video of you guys dancing?" Minhyuk asked before Hyungwon could fall asleep completely. They were facing each other but Hyungwon couldn't see the smile forming on Minhyuk's face after he asked the question.

"...Yeah... But I don't... Know who would..." Hyungwon's body began to relax and another question came from Minhyuk's mouth.

"Do you think Kihyun filmed it since he knew?" Minhyuk watched as eyebrows came together again and eyelids twitched, trying to open but failing completely.

"...Maybe..." Eyebrows grew further apart and Minhyuk controlled a laugh before calling his boyfriend's name for fun.

"Hyungwon?"

There wasn't a response.

"Hyungwon-"

"Shhh," Hyungwon slurred sleepily, moving so Minhyuk's face would be in his chest, making it unable for the blond to speak anymore.

-

When Hyungwon woke up it was still dark out, he turned over carefully, making sure Minhyuk wouldn't wake up, to check the time and sighed at himself when he saw it was only three in the morning. He returned to his previous position, making sure the cover was still covering both of them after he adjusted it.

A few moments later one of their phones began to ring and he thought about letting it give out on its own but Minhyuk stirred so he reached towards the nightstand to end it.

When the ringing came back he grabbed it off the stand, briefly read the name to see if it was someone one of them knew, then answered it.

"Hello?" He asked groggily, making his way out the door so Minhyuk wouldn't wake up.

"Is Minhyuk there?" Hyungwon rubbed his eyes and slumped against the wall.

"He's sleeping, call back in the-" Hyungwon yawned, bringing the phone away from his ear for a second, "morning."

"Who is this, if I may ask?"

"Hhhnnn, Hyungwon," the taller stretched, waking up more than he would like to so early in the morning.

"Oh, you're his boyfriend, right?" The question was asked with a bit of vice and Hyungwon took the phone away from his ear to check the name again.

'Hongbin'

"Yes, and you are?" He tried to sound more awake but if he did he didn't think he would be able to sleep again afterward.

"Hongbin, his ex-boyfriend." Hyungwon blinked for a second, then another.

Hyungwon swallowed, clenching his hands into a fist and standing up a little straighter.

"What do you want with Minhyuk?" He knew how angry he sounded and how much it fed into the guy's ego but remembering how Minhyuk's mother described this guy put a bad feeling in his stomach.

"Nothing, I just want to talk to him, catch up. I've been gone for a while and we were really close before I left."

"How do you know Minhyuk wants to talk to you?"

"What did Minhyuk say when he told you about me?"

"Minhyuk didn't- answer my question."

"So he didn't tell you about me?" There was laughing on the other end of the line and Hyungwon gritted his teeth.

Hyungwon would have countered the question if there wasn't the sound of a door creaking and a sleeping Minhyuk appearing, hugging himself trying to create protection from the cool air seeping underneath his skin.

"Hyungwon? What are you doing?"

"It's just a call," he said a little too quickly, hoping Minhyuk wouldn't be awake enough to catch it.

"Oh... With who?" Minhyuk rubbed his eyes. Hyungwon willed that Minhyuk was still sleepy enough to look over his lie.

"Kihyun." Minhyuk stood for a little longer, eyes basically closed and stance so relaxed a breeze would knock him over if one came.

"Okay..." When the door finally closed he checked the call progress then brought the device to his ear.

"What's there to hide... Hyungwon?" Hyungwon sucked in a breath but remained quite, he wasn't sure his voice would be level if he spoke. "Tell you what," Hongbin's voice came through before he hit end. "If you ask Minhyuk about me tomorrow, and he doesn't talk about us dating, he's coming to talk to me." With the statement, the call ended.

-

Minhyuk woke up and Hyungwon was hugging his torso like it was the only thing he knew. He smiled at the younger, running his fingers through black strands, jumping slightly when a phone went off. Realizing it was his, he removed Hyungwon's hands from his person and got up to answer it.

"Yes?"

"Minhyuk!" A voice came from the other side, Minhyuk blinked for a moment.

"Who is this?"

"Minhyuk," the voice said a little more serious.

"Oh sorry, I was just so surprised because it's not every day you get a call from someone who wanted you to forget about them."

"Look- I'm sorry- can we talk? I need to explain, I'll explain everything. I'm at the coffee house right now and I'll be here till twelve." Minhyuk checked the time, 8:36. He sighed and looked up to Hyungwon's bedroom, feeling something in his chest telling him he shouldn't go.

"We'll see," he said into the speaker before hanging up. Running his hands through his hair he tried to think clearly.

He told himself he was over the other, that he was happy with Hyungwon, he's happy with Hyungwon.

He's happy with Hyungwon.

He's happy with Hyungwon and that is true.

It's true.

But the feelings he thought he buried for Hongbin had just resurfaced.

And Hongbin was offering a conversation. He knew exactly what they'd be talking about and exactly how he was going to react to it.

He leaned over the counter. He was so sure he was over Hongbin, he hadn't even thought of the other the past few months, ever since he's started liking Hyungwon. But now that he's back, suddenly his mind was clouded with memories. Hongbin's laugh, his playful teasing, his gifts, his passion for games, the way he taught Minhyuk to play, the deal...

He closed his eyes and counted to ten. Hyungwon is his boyfriend, Hyungwon liked him, Hyungwon lets him do whatever he wants, he was sleeping with Hyungwon just a few minutes ago, the night before Hyungwon practically danced for him.

Hyungwon was everything Hongbin wasn't, Hyungwon was so much better than Hongbin but he's thinking of the possibilities of the latter actually wanting him back?

With perfect timing, right before he was able to let out a groan of frustration, Hyungwon made his way out of his own bedroom to join Minhyuk at the counter, he dragged his covers with him, pulling them around his shoulders to keep himself warm.

"What're you doing awake so early?" He hid his face in a wing he made with the blankets to yawn.

"Same reason you were awake earlier, what did Kihyun want?" He stood to make coffee, unable to look Hyungwon in the eye.

To Hyungwon's benefit, he felt the same, looking down at the counter and tracing some of the marble patterns with his finger. "Nothing..."

'If you ask Minhyuk about me tomorrow, and he doesn't talk about us dating, he's coming to talk to me'

"Minhyuk?"

"Hm?" Minhyuk played with the machine, trying to make sure there was enough water and grinds to make an average amount of coffee for the both of them.

"Why don't you have a manager?" Minhyuk tilted his head, keeping his hands busy so his hesitance wasn't obvious. Hyungwon mentally cursed for messing up the question.

"I know what's best for myself, I don't think I need one." Blankets shuffled behind him and he heard a soft "oh" come from Hyungwon. "Why?" The coffee began to brew and the thinned his lips into a line, taking a deep breath before turning to face Hyungwon.

"Uh... Kihyun's mom... She's a manager, one of the reasons Kihyun became mine, but anyway, she was talking about how you don't have a manager but everyone wants to manage you so I was just..." he took in a breath of air as he realized he was rambling then calmly finished, "wondering."

"No offense to Kihyun and his mom but I'm done with managers, I had one for a while but he only got me jobs he wanted me to do." He watched a frown form on Hyungwon's lips, "What are you worried about?"

Hyungwon's eyes held fear and Minhyuk's reflected the emotion right back. The silence dared for unspoken questions to be asked, and the command grew stronger with every second. Pressing his lips together Hyungwon asked with his eyes.

'Can I?'

Minhyuk sighed with his eyes closed and Hyungwon was left staring.

"His name's Hongbin." Hyungwon nodded slowly, lips still firmly pressed together, he watched Minhyuk move to play with the coffee machine more. "He-" his voice faltered and Hyungwon thought of saying something but he held it in.

'If he doesn't talk about us dating, he's coming to talk to me'

"I... Was in the same situation as you," he shrugged and made a small gesture to Hyungwon, "before, and so being me I told him." Hyungwon nodded even though Minhyuk wouldn't see.

Something in Hyungwon's heart sank, Minhyuk didn't say it, he didn't say Hongbin was his boyfriend, not exactly.

"He kind of... Tested it? I guess, but-" He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, looking up at the ceiling with wet eyes. Clearing his throat he continued, "he told me to act as if we were only actor and manager, which is what we were,"

Hyungwon took in a sharp breath, 'which is what we were.'

"But-" he stopped and mirrored Hyungwon, pressing his lips together. He couldn't say it.

Hyungwon welcomed the silence, it was like time stopped for a moment, he could tell himself Minhyuk was going to say it, he would say it. But minutes passed, every one was like a slap of reality and Hyungwon found himself laughing.

Minhyuk's still in love with Hongbin.

"Today?" He asked. Minhyuk blinked, "You're meeting him today. When?" Disbelief was clear in Hyungwon's sarcastic tone and Minhyuk furrowed his brow in worry.

"How did you..."

"The call I answered last night was on your phone, and it was him."

"..." The coffee machine came to a stop and Hyungwon welcomed the silence again, staring at the counter.

The sound of the cabinets creaking open was equivalent to the sound of Jihoon yelling cut. He was in love with Kihyun, he got adopted. Hoseok started going out with him. He met Minhyuk.

The sound of coffee being poured into a cup was the same as the bell ringing to signal everyone to take a break. Kihyun's in love with Hyunwoo. People die, Hoseok cheated on him. Minhyuk loves Hongbin.

The sight of the mug in front of him was like Hyungwon finally getting back to reality. Everyone's leaving him, and he can't do anything about it.

He took the cup and sipped on the bitter drink, eyes downcast and dry. They stayed like that for a while, Minhyuk nervously watching Hyungwon's reaction, bothered by the small smile placed there, like he's finally realized the joke everyone continues to tell him.

"Hyungwon-" he stopped at the movement of a finger.

"Did you date him?" Minhyuk swallowed.

Hyungwon waited for the answer, heart breaking with every second that passed.

He nodded to himself and took another sip of the coffee.

Minhyuk stayed silent. "I knew it."

"Hyungwon, don't-" his eyes burned and he reached out but he froze when Hyungwon hummed.

"Don't what? You don't want me to ask you to stay? You don't want me to freak out? You want me to do nothing as you go back to the person who broke your heart? If you don't want me to then I won't," Hyungwon shrugged, taking another sip.

Minhyuk was expecting Hyungwon to yell, expecting Hyungwon to be outraged.

Why wasn't he outraged?

"He broke your heart, and you're forgiving him for it." He laughed and finally met Minhyuk's eyes.

"No, it wasn't like that..." Minhyuk shook his head. Hyungwon raised his brow.

"Can you look me in the eye and honestly say you don't have feelings for him anymore? That you don't know what would happen if you met him? That you would go there and come back with all ties cut off?" Hyungwon looked down again, coffee suddenly tasting a lot bitter than before.

"I'm not expecting you to change your mind but I'll tell you now it won't end up how you want it to."

"Why are you so calm?" Minhyuk whispered. Hyungwon snorted at Minhyuk's attempt to avoid the question.

"People leave, Minhyuk, you learn when it happens to you enough." He examined the dirt underneath his fingertips.

"You're supposed to be mad," Minhyuk started, eyes blurring from frustration. "You're supposed to be begging me to stay, tell me not to go, convince me to change my mind." Minhyuk fisted his hands at his sides when Hyungwon showed more interest in the mug of coffee. "You're supposed to care."

"If I did, do you think it would stop you?" Minhyuk bit his lip at the argument, feeling a tear slip down his cheek.

"If I got down on my knees, tears in my eyes, and pleaded for you to stay, would you? If I gave you everything would it make you want me more?" Hyungwon was mocking him now, feeding the guilt in his stomach.

"If I guarded the door to make sure you wouldn't leave would you stop thinking about him? Do you think I would be able to change your mind because honestly I-" He stopped when he heard a sob.

He didn't know what hurt more, knowing the answer to the question, or Hyungwon knowing too.  

Minhyuk wiped the tears away, Hyungwon watched in silence, finishing his drink as Minhyuk tried to stop the guilt from running down his cheeks. Once he finally caught his breath Hyungwon continued. "Wanna know what Hongbin told me?" At his voice, new tears replaced the ones that were wiped away.

Hyungwon mentally laughed, replaced, funny word. "Actually," he started.

"Remember the ramen we ate?" Minhyuk let out a small sound, Hyungwon didn't know if it was a signal for, 'Yes I do remember' or if it was Minhyuk's way of asking him to stop.

"Yeah, the one at the convenience store, before we got together." Hyungwon didn't even flinch when Minhyuk let out a sob. "I think you should have chosen the other one, I think that if you did," Hyungwon stood and walked over to the door. 

"I think that if you chose the other one, this stomach ache would have been a lot less painful." He turned the knob and opened it, waiting for Minhyuk to move.

Minhyuk looked between the hallway wall and Hyungwon several times before slipping his shoes on without a sound. He looked up into Hyungwon's eyes one last time, hoping to find something to keep him.

There was nothing. He averted his gaze down and stepped out, Hyungwon closed it not a second later with a bang quieter than the sound of a pin dropping but at the same time louder than a bullhorn going off in front of their faces.

With Minhyuk on the other side, Hyungwon brought his back to the door gently, so Minhyuk wouldn't be able to hear if he was still there. With closed eyes, he exhaled as his legs bent and he was able to sit.

If Minhyuk had continued to stare a second longer, he would have seen Hyungwon break yet they both knew it wouldn't have stopped him from going to see Hongbin.

"Minhyuk..." He whispered to himself, gripping his knees, letting out the words he's held in the entire conversation, "I love you."


	11. Gone Bad

Pain began to nestle in his lower back as he continued to wait for his ringtone to finish repeating itself. The time had passed painfully slow like the world was taunting him, silence he was once acquainted with was unwelcoming, and cold air seeped down to his bones yet he remained stationary.

Only when another hour passed did he relieve his body of the physical pain caused from remaining still. Grunting with his palm trying to force his floorings down to the apartment below, it only lifted his upper body enough for his legs to bend after the long hours of staring at his toes.

His ringtone started up again, he had guessed it was Kihyun. If he ended it, Kihyun would have continued to call until he answered, if he answered it, he would be forced to talk and he was sure he could skip out on the pestering. The cell phone continued to ring despite his wills, so eventually, he got up to handle the shrieking alarm.

By the third ring he canceled the call and turned the device off, the silence remained unwelcoming but he ignored it and brought his covers up to his bed. He resisted the urge to bring the sheets closer to his nose than needed, he knew there would still be a faint trace of Minhyuk, just thinking about it made him realize how he was abandoned once again. Shaking the thoughts from his head he threw the load into his washroom and scuffled over to the bathroom.

Washing the sadness from every place but his eyes, he stared at himself in the mirror and lifted the corners of his mouth, squinting slightly to make the smile seem more sincere. The tips twitched slightly and something about the shape of his eyes was off, trying to squint them more made it seem painful instead of gleeful.

How did he think Kihyun fell for it?

Dropping his head between his shoulders for a moment he tried to forget about Minhyuk, what did he do before he met Minhyuk? Groaning at the answer he didn't have enough energy to change the linens so he headed towards the closet to pull out a suitcase.

-

Minhyuk stood in front of the door, his hand reached out to hold the knob, but couldn't find it in himself to turn it. He continued to stare at the silver handle. He raised his hand to knock but stopped it before any contact was made. His hand opened and closed repeatedly, he touched the surface lightly and when he felt tears prick his eyes he took a step back before turning.

The way down the hallway was haunting, thoughts continuously occupied with Hyungwon's lack of response to the news.

He had just... let him go...

He had understood he put himself into the situation but could not understand why he had walked out, why it took him so long to answer Hyungwon's questions, why he hadn't tried to go back into the apartment, why he had chosen Hongbin. Hyungwon's words, his calm, pitying words, rang through his head and he slumped against the wall of the elevator once the doors shut, too emotionally drained to try and suppress the thoughts invading his mind.

He could imagine them starting their relationship as strangers again, Hyungwon's lifeless eyes would come back and the pained smile forced as if it were the only way Hyungwon would be able to show any signs of contempt.

He remembered the day he first met Hyungwon, the confused look on his face as he tried to find his new co-stars, the wave of shock that coursed throughout his body when Minhyuk had appeared, he wasn't the most open person, making Minhyuk wonder why he had offered to hand out the scripts in the first place. He could feel the same amount of fondness he experienced back then when Hyungwon had revealed exactly how nervous he was by tripping over his own feet and coming close to dropping the papers.

He remembered the first time he met Kihyun, and how Hyungwon's eyes immediately focused on him with a longing expression, despite the playful atmosphere he brought. He remembered the look on Hyungwon's face when he realized Kihyun had actually gone off without him and wondered just how hurt Hyungwon was at the moment.

He remembered the look on Hyungwon's face as he confessed his feelings for Kihyun, the dejected feeling cracking holes into the make-shift mask of obliviousness from the denial he had tried to put on for everyone. 

He remembered how monotone Hyungwon had been as he shared the stories of his childhood, Minhyuk remembered how dry Hyungwon's eyes were, similar to the dryness of the day's previous events. He found it hard to swallow when he realized he had gone so far for Hyungwon to trust him, but he did what Hyungwon believes everyone does and left.

He had contemplated stopping the elevator, pretending it would stall the situation as well, maybe even bring himself back up to the higher floors but the pain in his throat told him it was over and he didn't know what he would do if he saw Hyungwon again.

His phone rang in his pocket, and for a moment he let his hopes climb but felt them fall back when the name didn't belong to the person of his thoughts. Nevertheless, he cleared his throat and nasal cavity before answering with the levelest voice he could manage.

"What's wrong?" He let out a soft laugh, classic Jooheon, there was a distinct noise on the other side and he mentally sighed knowing Changkyun was with the other.

"I'm fine," he said before immediately making a face, he didn't even sound convincing to himself but Jooheon knew better than to ask what happened over the phone, instead he left Minhyuk to listen to a quiet discussion with Changkyun before inviting him over to play Overwatch. With the corners of his mouth tilted up the slightest, he thanked them and found some courage to press a floor.

Back inside the silence, after the call ended, he wondered who Hyungwon would seek comfort in. 

-

"Sorry, we're- Hyungwon." The waiter almost dropped the tray of dishes when he saw the man standing there.

"Uh... Are you busy? Because I could just-" Hyungwon extended his arm behind him to grab back onto the door.

"No! You can stay..." There was a moment of tense silence and Hyungwon was about to finish his way out the door but Hoseok continued. "I'll give these to my co-workers. It'll be a second." Hyungwon turned his heels and changed his weight from the balls of his feet to his heels as he waited.

When Hoseok came back, his apron was off and he was wearing the same outfit Hyungwon would see him wearing during their dates, snug jeans, and a hoodie. "So... What brings you here?"

Hyungwon looked up at the ceiling, feeling his eyes begin to burn again, "Uh... I need a ride somewhere."

After nodding, Hoseok asked, "Is there a reason - not that I'm declining - but, why me?"

"I-" he started then closed his mouth, trying to figure out how to word his situation without giving away the actual events. "You're the only person I know that Kihyun wouldn't suspect." He waited for the reply and was about to take back the favor when Hoseok accepted it.

"There's a catch." Hyungwon nodded he had anticipated the statement. "You have to tell me why." Hyungwon closed his eyes for a moment and nodded, opening them in a final confirmation.

"Lemme get my keys and clock-out." Hyungwon headed back outside and stood by his abandoned suitcase. For himself, he had a suitcase with clothes that would last him a week and the essential belongings one would need in a home. He was planning on donating the rest of his clothes, he only wore most of the others when Kihyun told him to.

"Do you need any suits?" He asked right as Hoseok walked out to join him, Hyungwon stared innocently as he received a confused look in return. "Oh," his face grew hot realizing the random question. "I, uh, have suits that... I'm not gonna use so I thought, you know... would... want... some?" He made small gestures towards one of his cases.

Hoseok shook his head and chuckled, taking some of the bags and leading Hyungwon towards his car. "No offense, but I don't think I'll fit any of your suits." He unlocked his car and precisely placed everything inside so everything could be kept in the back.

"So," Hyungwon looked up from his phone when Hoseok began his question, the engine was warming up and Hyungwon shivered slightly from the change in temperature coming from the vents in the car. "What happened?"

"Minhyuk left," he stated without hesitation, feeling his cheeks heat up and eyes suddenly feel dry.

Hoseok nodded, humming then finally starting the car, Hyungwon let out a breath a the focus was diverted from him.

"Kihyun?" Hyungwon pursed his lips, feeling a little awkward since Wonho wasn't invited to the wedding.

"He has Shownu, can't bother him with something like this, they're happy."

"Kihyun worries about you, you know, he's gonna freak out once you're gone."

"He's probably panicking, thinking I'm dead right now."

"He hasn't called you?"

"Turned my phone off." Hoseok nodded again, maneuvering towards the freeway entrances. "Which way?"

"Oh, uhm, could we go somewhere first? There are actually some people I want to say goodbye to." He gestured towards the closest one and Hoseok nodded, signaling to the right.

"Since you're leaving..." another question started, "Does that mean you really are over Kihyun?"

"I think..." Hyungwon started, sighing which caused a small part of the window to fog up, 'I think I'm giving up.' "I think I've been over him for a while and just didn't notice." He tapped his fingers on the armrest, surprising himself at how level he was with the situation.

"How are... you and your girlfriend?" He brought up awkwardly, thinking about the chances of surviving the jump he could take out of the car. He heard Hoseok laugh softly and he recognized the undertone almost immediately.

"She broke up with me a few days after the fair, I saw it coming, though. I was trying to win her over before she could make the decision."

"Wh- sorry." Hyungwon stopped mid-question, realizing it would have been rude to ask.

"Why?" Hoseok laughed again and Hyungwon told him to take the next exit. "It's fine, she said I was too distant, I can't really say anything,"

"You think it's true?"

"I can see how she did... It's better this way, it's not entirely wrong."

"You like someone else?"

"Yeah but... It's kind of hard to imagine myself with the person I like. Somehow, they're always in love with a person that isn't me." Hyungwon stayed silent, thinking Hoseok wouldn't want to talk about it anymore.

"Turn here," He said in a soft tone, Hoseok hadn't heard and missed. Hyungwon pressed his lips together before informing his driver. When they were back on the correct path Hyungwon was at a loss for words, silently wondering to himself what Kihyun would do when he finds out.

He looked at his phone and thought about turning it on, just to calm Kihyun's worries, but telling him about the situation would lead to Kihyun trying to convince him to stay. He could imagine the conversation as if it were actually happening, Kihyun would bring up memories then proclaim Hyungwon is needed. He would explain how Hyungwon would be able to get over it, probably try to set him up with someone else again.

"How did you meet Kihyun, again?"

"Through Hyunwoo, we went to the gym together."

"Do you stay in touch?"

"On occasion."

"He doesn't go to the gym anymore?"

"There are days, but not as often as before, training and everything," Hyungwon nodded, recalling Hyunwoo's new job.

"So... You two are still close?"

"I won't tell him, even if he beats me to a pulp," Hoseok stated, answering the question Hyungwon would have asked next.

"...Thank you," Hyungwon twiddled his thumbs trying to ignore the wonder building up in his brain. The idea refused to leave his mind and he found himself asking, "Do you like Hyunwoo?" Hoseok laughed so hard he had to slow down so he wouldn't crash into anything.

"As a friend, I love Hyunwoo as a friend, I care about him and his wellbeing a lot, but I could never romantically imagine myself with him." He wiped the tears of laughter away, reminding Hyungwon to direct him as they continued then asked, "What made you ask?"

"Just... Wondering, I was thinking about how Kihyun set us up and how, if I did stay, he would have done it again- Not with you-" he added quickly and Hoseok let out a laugh through his nose, "but blind dates and everything. Turn here, then the first right."

As the car stopped and they waited for the light to change green, Hyungwon watched two birds fly together in the sky, they circled together and landed on the telephone wires. Soon enough, more birds came.

There was a horn going off behind them that caused all the wings to send them away. The car jerked forward and the back of Hyungwon's head met the rest of his seat. There was a light apology from Hoseok but Hyungwon dismissed it, trying to rid his mind of the thoughts beginning to crowd. Pushing the tears back, he pointed to the upcoming parking lot.

With a shaky breath, Hyungwon looked at the brick building. He thought about why he had come, now thinking it was a foolish idea. It was a simple bracelet, and he was sure his mother would recognize him without it. He was about to tell Hoseok to start the car again but there was a conversation going on.

"Why would he just leave?" Hoseok gave Hyungwon a look that told him he was the topic of conversation.

"Minhyuk broke up with him?" Hyungwon closed his eyes and shook his head, Hoseok nodded and started his car again. "I don't know where he could be, the last time I saw him, he was with Minhyuk."

Hyungwon pictured the white hair, it was so soft. He looked down at his hands and could almost feel the dyed locks.

"Hyunwoo I'm not doing that, it's wrong"

Hyungwon curled his fingers the same way they would around Minhyuk's, he could almost imagine the thumb rubbing over his knuckles.

"You wouldn't know, Kihyun loves you back."

He clenched his fists as the tears began again, he could feel them being wiped away, he could feel Minhyuk kissing them, he could hear the blond saying everything would be okay and he bit his lip.

"Just because they aren't together doesn't mean they don't love the other - if Kihyun broke up with you- what?"

Hyungwon had let a sob slip through his teeth, he covered his mouth as more tears fell. All he was thinking of was the fact they needed to leave, Hyungwon needed to get away from everything.

"Oh, they found him? Where?" Hyungwon's eyes widened and he looked out the window to see Jackson on the phone. He knows Kihyun and Hyunwoo?

Hyungwon looked back to Hoseok and touched the gear shift, letting him know he wanted to leave. Hoseok put his hand over Hyungwon's, asking him if he was sure without making a noise. Hyungwon nodded quickly and looked back to where Jackson was standing. Now Mark was with him, on the phone.

He knew what was coming next, yet he couldn't bring himself to look away. The first thing he saw was a hand, reaching out to grab Mark's. And he bit his lip when he could see the bracelet securely around it. The face turned and made eye-contact, Hyungwon's lip quivered and he felt sick.

He turned away, hiding his face but it was too late, he could hear the screams of protest, Mark was holding him back. Knowing he would regret it, he still brought his gaze up.

Chan's tears were running down his face, other hand reaching out. "Go," he said quietly, voice cracking as Chan was pulled back. He looked up at Mark, who simply stared and continued to talk to the person on the other end of the phone.

"Please." He said again, and the car pulled out of the lot, Hyungwon's eyes were connected to Mark's the entire time, both pairs holding a look of sorrow and confusion.

Why was Hyungwon leaving?

Why was Mark letting him

-

The first thing Minhyuk did when he got to Jooheon's house was faceplant into his couch, uncaring about greetings and politeness. He had driven through surprising prior afternoon traffic and had thirty minutes of silence to himself, all he really wanted to do was pass out and wake up once he's dead.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he sighed taking his time to actually move with the action and face the two, "I messed up," he said immediately. Pushing the hands away to sit up and cup his face in his own. He pressed the heels of his palms into the sockets of his eyes until he could see colors then let go.

There was a hand on his back again, "That guy doesn't-" Minhyuk whipped his head around so fast, grabbing the front of Changkyun's shirt, daring him to finish his sentence. Jooheon pulled at his arms but he wouldn't budge.

"Minhyuk calm-"

"Don't tell me to calm down! Don't finish that sentence." Seething, he slowly let go of Changkyun's front and sat back, pinching the bridge of his nose. Changkyun looked to Jooheon questioningly but the other shrugged, they sat staring at the blond, jumping when he spoke again.

"I left him, he's not the one that doesn't deserve me, it's me who doesn't deserve him. I messed up and I'm an idiot."

"You're right about the last part," Changkyun tried to lighten the mood but only received a glare and a shove from Jooheon, "But what you did might not have been that bad, why don't you just go back?"

"He doesn't want me back." Minhyuk said bitterly, "He gave me a chance, to stay, you know, but I just... I didn't and I really, really wish I had."

"Why didn't you?" It was Jooheon's question and Minhyuk couldn't find it in himself to look at him.

"H....Hong-"

"Oh hell no--Minhyuk-"

"I know okay! I just thought, if I would see him, then I could end it, but-" He gripped his hair again, "Hyungwon... Hyungwon said some things that I couldn't disagree with and I don't know but I thought it would be better if I just left but- he was so... done, it was like he knew I was going to leave and- and he didn't try to stop me- why didn't he try to stop me?"

The other two in the room remained silent as Minhyuk did his best to hide his sobs. Minhyuk was left alone for a while, Changkyun and Jooheon having to go to work, with the unneeded task of watching their apartment. He rummaged through their fridge, not feeling all that hungry, just trying to find something to keep his mind off Hyungwon but the questions continued to repeat, like an alarm he would constantly set to snooze.

Why didn't you stay?

I thought Hyungwon didn't want me to.

If he had thought that, why were you given an option?

...

Why didn't Hyungwon try to stop you?

...

Would it have done anything?

Maybe.

Would you have regretted if you hadn't gone?

I'm regretting leaving.

If you returned now would Hyungwon take you back?

I hope so.

Are you going to go?

...Y-

There was a ringing coming from the living room and he slowly walked over, to check who it was, heart dropping before speeding up when he realized it was Kihyun.

"Kihyun?" He said, a bit more urgently than he would like.

"Is Hyungwon with you?" The voice was irritated with a hint of worry and Minhyuk swallowed the lump in his throat before answering.

"Why?"

"He's not answering his phone, I think he has it off but I need to ask him about-"

"He's not answering his phone?"

"So he's not with you." Minhyuk felt the chill of Kihyun's realization. "Hyungwon doesn't answer the phone on a good day but he never turns it off- Minhyuk..." the voice was a warning.

"Minhyuk," the voice came again and he could feel the tears pricking the back of his eyes. "What happened?"

"I..." he blinked rapidly, "I-we-brokeup" he said quickly but he hadn't heard another sound from Kihyun before the line went dead. Standing for a moment he almost dropped his phone when his phone rang again, without bothering to check he answered and began to apologize. "I'm really sorry-"

"News is you and the other broke up, today if I may add, I just wanted to say-"

Minhyuk hung up before any more words could be said and blocked the number. He couldn't believe he was about to go back to him, he couldn't believe he had let him in after this long, he can't believe he hurt Hyungwon because of him. Grabbing his keys he made his way to his car.

-

"He's not here," Kihyun's words held no sympathy, in fact, it sliced through him mercilessly and Minhyuk knew he deserved it.

"Kihyun I-"

"I trusted you- no- Hyungwon trusted you and you leave him just like that-" Minhyuk didn't bother hiding his flinch as Kihyun drove the blade deeper.

"It's not like he was trying to get me to stay-" He tried to defend.

"You know about his past, you get tired of chasing after people."

"Then you're just as equal to blame." As soon as the words came out of his mouth there were hands on him, gripping his shirt and he waited for a fist to make an impact on his jaw but there was another stopping it from happening.

"I stayed with him- I've been there for him all this time-"

"You knew he was in love with you but you dated him." Minhyuk gestured to Hyunwoo.

"I wasn't the one that courted him then dipped-"

"Enough."

Hyunwoo's voice wasn't at all loud but it was stern enough to get the attention of the two. "Fighting about the reason he's gone isn't helping anyone here, where would Hyungwon go?"

Minhyuk and Kihyun were silent for a good while and Hyunwoo sighed, "If you guys-"

"Mark." Minhyuk had said, he pulled out his phone and dialed the number, tapping his foot and nervously licking his lips from the stares Kihyun and Hyunwoo were giving him.

"Mark! Mark is Hyungwon there?"

"No, why? Is he coming over?"Jackson's voice answered, "I'm already here so you guys don't really need to stop by but I think the kids would appreciate the extra company, especially Chan." Minhyuk cursed under his breath looking away from the glare beginning to form in Kihyun's eyes.

"A-are you sure? He left and the orphanage is really the only place I thought he would go." Kihyun refused the let up his glare, and Minhyuk wished Hyunwoo would get off his phone to tell his fiance to lay off.

"He's here." Mark's voice knocked the wind out of him.

"What?!"

"He's here but I don't think they're staying, we're kind of just staring at each other now."

"They- who's with him?"

"I don't know, he's wearing a hoodie, and he has blond hair and he's talking on the phone with someone. Hyungwon looks... Sad Minhyuk did you really?" Minhyuk's eyes flicked towards Hyunwoo and he could see Kihyun's eyebrow lift at the motion.

"Can you follow them?"

"No."

"Mark-"

"Chan saw him, if I follow him I have to bring Chan, which makes the other kids want to go too, we can't follow them Minhyuk." He imagined Chan, and how well he and Hyungwon had gotten along, the joy on the child's face when Hyungwon was there with him, all the times he would be asked if the tall man came with him or was on the way.

"Tell them I'm coming over, I'll watch them. Please, just follow him I-"

"We can't, Minhyuk by the time we get all of the kids to agree it'll be too late, and I'm pretty sure Hyungwon doesn't want us following him."

"You don't understand I can't just let him go, I can't let him leave."

'I need him to know I came back.'

But does he want you back? He thought about who the other person in the car could be and he could faintly remember a face.

"I'm sorry Minhyuk."

"Me too," And the line went dead. He stayed silent as Hyunwoo finished his phone call and just as the call ended he questioned him. "Who was that?"

"A friend of mine, he used to know Hyungwon, I thought that maybe Hyungwon would have gone with him, but he said the last time he saw Hyungwon was when you two were together"

"I want a name," what he needed was a confirmation.

"Why do we-"

"Kihyun," Hyunwoo scolded, giving him a look before answering, "Hoseok."

-

A week later Minhyuk found his fist inches away from making contact with Hoseok's face for the fifth time. When his fist met a cheek and there still wasn't any resistance he relaxed his other hand to let go of the shirt. Hoseok spit out all the fluid in his mouth, grimacing at the red color and slowly began to fix his clothes.

"Where'd you bring him?" Minhyuk tried again, expecting the response he got.

Hoseok wiped his lips with the back of his hand and observed the color for a second before shrugging, remaining silent.

"Hoseok."

"I brought him somewhere he wouldn't be able to see any of us."

"But you know where he is."

"I do." Minhyuk took a step forward and reached for the stained shirt again, his hand hesitated for a moment as their eyes locked. Hoseok waiting for the pain to come and Minhyuk willing himself to calm down.

"Why you?" The question came out harsher than intended and both males flinched. Minhyuk's eyes immediately softened and at the same time, Hoseok's darkened. Minhyuk found his foot retreating slightly when he noticed the fists clenched at the other's sides.

"He said I was the only person Kihyun wouldn't think of." For once, Hoseok took Minhyuk's hands off of him and stepped back.

Minhyuk had spent the week trying to find Hyungwon, asking his mom to contact any press or media, even though a week is barely enough to find a missing person without his phone--which he found out was canceled. He knew Kihyun was having Shownu check the files he could without risking his job. He had done some searching himself, though his skills were merely enough to get old pictures which would have been a good story on Hyungwon's part.

"Why are you looking for him? He told me you left him." The last three words were like a knife and he felt his rage return to drive it in deeper. Spending the past seven days trying to find Hyungwon Minhyuk had come to a few conclusions.

He could only blame himself for Hyungwon leaving.

Hyungwon only left him because he walked out of the door.

He still loved Hyungwon.

And he didn't need anyone else reminding him of the first two statements he wouldn't let himself forget.

"Why are you doing this? You cheated on him." It was a low blow and Minhyuk wasn't proud of it, especially not when Hoseok returned the shot unaffectedly.

"The same reason you're trying to find him, and you can't call it cheating when the other person never returns your feelings."

"If you had feelings for him, why'd you go out with someone else?" He heard Hoseok sigh through grit teeth and watched him shut his eyes for a couple of moments before relaxing his fists. When they met eyes Hoseok's glare was cold. 

"Not all of us can easily get under the skins of others," Hoseok started, taking Minhyuk aback at the accusation. Pleased with the reaction, Hoseok continued, "I felt like a burden, to make it seem like he had to force his feelings for Kihyun onto me when he was trying to cope with it. So I gave him a reason to break up with me. Though, if I knew a little persistence could pay off, I would have stayed and we wouldn't be in the situation we are now, would we?"

"You left him." Minhyuk's voice lacked its vice and he could feel his eyes begin to sting. He knew it was obvious and for a moment he thought Hoseok would stop there, help him in the smallest way he could by giving him the closure that comes with having the last word.

But who would want to help a person who hurt the one you loved?

"Because he didn't want me there." The unspoken statement was louder than the words that had been, it was there and Minhyuk couldn't come up with a proper response. When Hoseok passed him to finally end the small meeting, it was like a haunting echo Minhyuk wished he blocked out.

'But he wanted you to stay, and you didn't.'

-

Hoseok hissed at the burn as he disinfected the wounds on his face, trying to relax his facial muscles he finished up before looking for the extra phone Hyungwon had bought him for contact.

Finding it on his counter he contemplated the effects of pressing call, Hyungwon had said it was for emergencies, like Kihyun and Hyunwoo's wedding.

"Hello? Is everything alright?" The voice came from the small phone and Hoseok jumped.

"Oh, I didn't mean to call, I was thinking about it and-"

"Hoseok, are you okay?" Hyungwon's voice was calm but knowing how well he was good at acting, Hoseok wished there would be at least a small sign to know Hyungwon wasn't suppressing it.

"I'm fine, sorry. Just shaken up. Minhyuk came and found me-" He had thought he heard something on the other side of the line but silence was speaking.

"Minhyuk came to see me and he wanted to know where you were."

There was more silence and Hoseok gulped, wondering if his next few words would be beneficial or not.

"I think you should come back." The sound of a call ending resounded through the room but Hoseok simply called again.

After being sent to voicemail six times he let the tone go through before saying, "Hyungwon, if you don't call me back in the next five minutes, I'm going to personally take Kihyun, Hyunwoo, and Minhyuk, and bring them to you."

He started the timer and dialed Hyunwoo's number on his own phone, thumb hovering over the call as he watched the other.

Two minutes passed and Hoseok had to keep himself from calling again, he had erased Hyunwoo's number from his cellphone after the first thirty seconds, nervously switching between old text messages and social media before a ring went through the air.

"What?" He was expecting irritation, but not the sharp intake of breath that followed afterward.

"They're all looking for you, you know."

"They'll find me soon enough, Kihyun's good at doing that, plus Hyunwoo's a cop now and-" The sentence was never finished.

"If they're going to find you, then why don't you make it easier on everyone and come back already?"

"I'm already here, Hoseok. It'd be a waste if I just went back."

"It's a waste for you to be there and handle things on your own when there are people here that are worrying about you."

"Tell them I'm fine. I'm fine, Hoseok."

"Minhyuk isn't."

"Minhyuk left-"

"He left because he thought you wanted him to."

"How do you know that? You weren't even there."

"Because-" Hoseok stopped himself for a second, trying to think of another logical explanation. "Because he told me, today. When he came to meet me he told me."

"Bullshit."

"Hyungwon!" He hissed at the cut on his lip reopening. "Fine, I was lying about Minhyuk telling me but I know that's what he was thinking. Hyungwon, when you think people leave you, you shut them out instead of trying to hold onto them. It makes them think you don't want them there anymore."

Nothing came from the other side and Hoseok had to double check to make sure Hyungwon was still listening. "Like, Hyunwoo, I'm friends with him so this time he actually did tell me -- when he first met you he thought you hated him. Maybe you did because he was dating Kihyun but Hyungwon he thought it was more than just a little jealousy. I know you and you don't hold grudges like that, you wanted to be friends with him but kept at a distance because you thought he would leave you."

"Hyungwon I've seen all the things you do for them both and then shut down when they tried to thank you and get closer. I'm just glad Kihyun saw through it as much as I did. Like that time Hyunwoo almost locked himself out of his own house but you made sure to give the key to Kihyun but then said you had to leave when they invited you back in. Or when you got that spot for him at a dancing competition but left before you could congratulate him."

"I got close to him eventually."

"After, like, two years and he still thinks you hate him, he tells me sometimes."

"That's only one person." And Hoseok knew he wouldn't be able to keep it in anymore.

"It happened with me too, Hyungwon, but I only noticed today."

"What do you-"

"Just listen for a moment," he took a deep breath, "I love you, Hyungwon, and I know for a fact you're still in love with Minhyuk so I'm not trying to hit on you or anything but hear me out."

"When I first met you, like, saw you, after hearing about what you were like from Kihyun and hearing small stories about you when he would be hanging out with Hyunwoo and me, I fell in love--pretty stupid, yeah? Don't answer."

"Anyway, I tried to be there for you, get closer, because you weren't anything like what Kihyun described you as at the time. You weren't clumsy, you didn't laugh a lot and I thought it was because you were shy, but it was because you thought I was going to leave, so you saw no use in getting close to me."

Hyungwon stayed silent and Hoseok felt his heart drop when he didn't hear the slightest sounds of remorse. "When Minhyuk visited me today, he said some things that made me realize you were wishing I would have stuck around all along."

"What did he say?" Hoseok blinked at the question, the voice was soft and broke at parts, he swallowed before continuing.

"He said I left you, and I did, but it was because I thought you didn't want me around. You never wanted to go on dates, you would cancel our plans to hang out with Kihyun, and I don't blame you one bit, but if I had only known you wanted me to try harder, I would have stayed Hyungwon. I would have-"

'I would have been able to make you happier than Minhyuk did'

But Hoseok couldn't say that -- he couldn't trick Hyungwon into liking him again and make himself seem better than Minhyuk, because he did cheat, and Minhyuk just messed up.

"I would have." He finished. Hyungwon was still listening so he decided to finish the call.

"Don't let Minhyuk think the same thing, Hyungwon, you make each other happy and it was nice to see you smile again, you look at him the same way you looked at Kihyun when we were dating, you know."

He was about to end the call but stopped himself once more to say goodbye.

"You don't have to keep paying for this phone, if I still haven't convinced you to come back, then I think it's best if you don't have something to hold you back. As long as you have this, you'll be confused."

"Hoseok." Hyungwon's voice came through just as his thumb made it's way down, "I'm sorry."

Hoseok didn't know exactly what Hyungwon was apologizing for, for pushing him away, for wasting his car gas, for making him suffer, for not loving him back, but Hoseok didn't think it was needed.

"I'm sorry too."

He was sorry for not trying hard enough, for cheating, for wasting his money on the phone, and for loving him.

"I hope I'll see you back in the restaurant soon," he said and his heart felt lighter when he heard a bittersweet laugh followed by a sniffle.

"Me too. Thank you."

Hoseok tried to ignore about how much he wished the call had ended in 'I love you' instead.


	12. "I do"

He stood in front of the reflective surface and nitpicked at the smallest details till he could claim it was perfect, the only problem being he would never make that statement. Once he fixed one aspect of his appearance, another part was either messed up or a new imperfection was found.

He lost track of how long he had been standing there but the soles of his feet were beginning to get sore. Shifting his weight, he checked and rechecked until the one who had been watching him silently chuckled at his antics.

"You're such a princess, you've smoothed down every surface and picked off every piece of lint a normal person could see along with some I think were fake, you're fine." A man, supporting a matching suit stood from where he was and walked over to join the reflection.

"You don't understand, I have to look perfect-"

"For this one day and then return to the imperfect look you had once it's over? Your husband's not here to marry the perfect you, he's never seen that nor will he ever. He's marrying the one he's known till now and the one you will be after this." A hand was placed on the princess's hip as the two looked at each other, grins on their faces despite the playful banter.

"Marriage is supposed to be the happiest day of your life, I don't wanna look like a slob."

"And you don't, you look stressed, not happy. If anything, even if you showed up in sweats, hair ruffled from what we did the night before, and teeth not even brushed, I would still be honored to get married to you." The man continued to explain and pressed a kiss to his princess's cheek.

"You don't get it you don't-"

"Overthink? I don't. And I'm not planning on doing so anytime soon, marriage just makes it so that you can't legally go off and cheat on me, especially with how easy it would be for you to do so," arms wrapped around the labeled princess and another kiss was planted on his cheek.

He moved around in the hold, complaining about the wrinkles being formed on his suit from the hug. "If I'm the princess doesn't that make you the prince I'm getting married to? You should make yourself presentable as well."

"Are you saying I don't look amazing in this suit?" The embrace was broken so the prince could spin around, expecting to be admired by the princess but getting a roll of eyes and a replay of the scene he saw just ten minutes before.

"Are you done?" He asked once a pair of hands hand dropped to his side. There was silence and the prince spoke up again. "Are you thinking of him again?"

"I just... wish he was here... I didn't think he would be gone for this long." A deep breath was taken then let go. "I wonder if it's better he's not here or if he should have been."

"He liked you before I did, and he loves you, I'm sure he still does, but I think it would have hurt him more to see us get married."

With a nod, the two finally left, with one final check in the mirror, to their wedding.

-

"I'm surprised he's not wearing a dress," Minhyuk had commented as he watched Kihyun walk down the aisle. He was one of the last voices to be heard and the snicker coming from his friends behind him received a glare. Knowing there wasn't any true irritation behind it, just slight embarrassment, they rubbed it off and Minhyuk stole a glance at Hyunwoo once Kihyun passed.

The one to be married with Kihyun was awestruck, to say the least. His eyes were brimmed with tears and he had to force a smile so he wouldn't break down into sobs, it was the first time Minhyuk had ever seen him like that. He stood there, back straight and eyes shining. An overwhelming feeling washed over Minhyuk when he saw Kihyun biting his lip as he tried to keep the tears in as well.

There was a small laugh coming from the couple and a few guests laughed along with them, Minhyuk included. The music playing came to a stop and everyone sat as the mothers of Hyunwoo and Kihyun came to the front.

"Welcome everyone," Kihyun's mother had started, pausing to wipe away a single tear after the sentence was out. Her voice failed her the moment she tried to speak again, her eyes flashing to her son and his husband, Kihyun had set his hand on his mother's shoulder encouraging her to continue but the tears continued to fall.

"Welcome everyone, thank you for coming to witness my son and the one he loves most come together to create a new, closer relationship, together. I admit I was shocked when Hyunwoo brought home Kihyun, he was so different from the previous girlfriends Hyunwoo has had. And yes, girlfriends." She looked to Kihyun lovingly, smiling at him and taking his hand to hold.

"You were the first boy Hyunwoo brought home, I'm sorry for being so closed off at first," she took in a breath when Kihyun laughed and shook his head in a way to tell her it was understandable, "but even on the first day, I could see why Hyunwoo had interest in you."

"Hyunwoo, my Hyunwoo, soon to be yours," she continued to address Kihyun, "he was never one to tell others what to do, which would always get in the way of relationships with the girls that liked him. They would wonder what he wanted to do, and he would answer with-"

"Whatever you want to do," Kihyun laughed, stealing a moment to look at his fiance and hiding his face afterward. Misses Son titled Kihyun's face back up before she continued again.

"You're the only person I've seen that was able to tell when he wanted to do something or when he wanted to stay in, there have been times when you knew what my son wanted and I didn't, and I'm glad you're the one standing here to get married to him today." She hugged both Kihyun and her son, finally letting her tears fall silently as they turned their attention to Misses Yoo.

"I'm sorry for that before, thank you for saying those words about my son, but I think everyone here knows how much dear Hyunwoo has to go through with this one." She pointed to her own son and enticed a laugh from everyone. Clearing her nose again she took a breath before the rest of her speech.

"Hyunwoo, you're different, not only do you tolerate the forcefulness of my son, but you love and encourage it. You're a gentleman that has the ability to calm down my son with one touch, something I haven't seen anyone else do. You raised him right," she nudged Hyunwoo's mother when she said the last statement. Laughter erupted again and Minhyuk wiped the tear away from his cheek as Kihyun shifted where he stood.

"In all seriousness, you're the one I was absolutely sure about and the only one I wished Kihyun would keep. I've seen you two fight, and I'm still astonished at how well you handle situations with him. You don't only listen, but you agree with the mistakes he accuses you of, then explain the situation without trying to get out of the blame, and this was only in the beginning of your relationship. I have never seen you two fight about anything for the second time, have you?" She turned towards Misses Son who had thought about it for a while before realizing that no, she's never seen them fight over something more than once.

"I hope you continue to understand each other as much as you do, even with how opposite you guys are--and I never believed in the concept of opposites attract, I've experienced too many fights--I see a miracle. Thank you for being a miracle for my son." Like Hyunwoo's mother, Misses Yoo gave the couple a hug before backing away and the husbands-to-be watched their mothers return to their seats. 

As the applause came to a stop and even as tears were fresh in his eyes, a man wearing dress pants over his shirt and supporting a jacket, all of the same dark shade of black, came to the front to witness the couple. "Hello everyone, I'm Jisoo, for those who don't know me, and I'm here to give these two the spiritual bond needed for marriage. I haven't known Kihyun or Hyunwoo for as long as most of you, I only met them a few years ago when one of Kihyun's old clients came and auditioned for a company we're now both working for, and after we met, it still took a while for us to get to know each other."

Minhyuk's ears perked at the mention of the client, he had noticed how the name was avoided and a weight settled in his chest when he saw Kihyun's eyes flicker towards him. He rolled his lips together and did his best to focus on the rest of Jisoo's speech.

"Their bond is unbreakable, every time I would see them around set, Hyunwoo looks at Kihyun like he's the most important thing in the world," He smiled when Hyunwoo blushed at the words, Kihyun grinning at his fiance's embarrassment. "Kihyun, the way Kihyun talks to Hyunwoo is different than how he speaks to other people, I once overheard a conversation of theirs and in the few minutes I tried to understand, the topic went from dinner to their house, to Hyunwoo's job, to children, to their parents, to their apartment, and many others. It was like Hyunwoo was communicating with him through telepathy," Kihyun laughed and hid his face, feeling embarrassed having been exposed even of something so small.

Minhyuk tried to keep his breathing steady, every word Jisoo said about Kihyun and Hyunwoo's relationship, every word he used to explain love, he felt that same feeling in his chest that's been harvesting for the past twenty-four months since Hyungwon left. His attempts to tune into Jisoo's speech brought one simple thought to his mind but he grounded himself when his gaze met Kihyun again. Kihyun's worried look let him know he needed to think about something else so instead of thinking about the man, he wondered how the man did it.

It brought a smaller amount of guilt to his heart when he wondered about how Hyungwon had simply pretended to be okay; how could he just turn off his emotions like that? Minhyuk guessed it had to do with how much his past lover overthought everything, how he was always focused on the future, never on the situation at hand, and Minhyuk could agree that it helps. In his future, his hopeful future, he and Hyungwon are standing in a spot similar to the one Kihyun and Hyunwoo are standing.

He took in a deep breath and focused on the main reason he was inside the small hall, Hyunwoo had just finished his vows and Kihyun had begun his moments after.

"I want to thank you for sticking with me all these years, for protecting me on top of that, and working to provide for me when I go out and make those business risks. There are three people that understand me most in the world, all in different ways, and I can honestly say if you weren't one of them, I would be a mess right now. I'll never forget the day I met you when I needed a break from everything and stupidly went out to a club with some fake I.D I got the day before--sorry mom," Minhyuk felt lighter at the joke and cracked a smile, he had never thought Kihyun would be the type to do that.

"Anyway, you weren't in the club, but you helped me from getting into big trouble, Hyung" Hyunwoo bit his lip as he smiled, tears brimming in his eyes at the memory.

"For those of you that don't know," Kihyun turned to his guests, "I was almost caught by the cops, almost, Hyunwoo saw me on his way home from the..."

"Gym," Hyunwoo filled in.

"Yeah, the gym--he went to a gym that passes a club and he stays till night, I always think he was waiting for something like this to happen--Anyway, he comes up to me arguing with the cops and pretends to be worried and the cop asks him what business he has with me. He tells the cop he's my older brother and he's willing to take responsibility for my actions." Kihyun turned back towards his fiance and smiles.

"Son Hyunwoo, even when I don't know the situation, even when you are totally at wrong, I will be by your side to defend you with my utmost ability--of course unless you're in a fight with me. Yet, even in those fights, I promise to put our love on top of all of it, I trust in you as much and if not more than you trust in me, and it goes the same for the amount of love I have for you. If I find something in you that I haven't noticed before, I will love it. If you change something about yourself to the complete opposite, I will love it, because I have come to love a man named Son Hyunwoo and I promise to never give him up for anything."

"And with the traditional vows, Son Hyunwoo, do you take Yoo Kihyun to be your husband, to love and cherish, to protect and correct, to trust and honor, in sickness and in health, rich or poor, best and worse, till death do you part?"

"I do," his voice was soft as he stared into his lover's eyes, and Kihyun visibly swallowed down the sob he wanted to let out.

"And Yoo Kihyun, do you take Son Hyunwoo to be your husband, to love and cherish, to protect and correct, to trust and honor, in sickness and in health, rich or poor, best and worse, till death do you part?"

"I do," he tried his best to force down his tears but they spilled over as Joshua concluded the ceremony.

"I now pronounce you, husbands" As their lips met tears streamed, hands came together again and again after, continuing for several minutes before pictures began to be taken and the food was being brought out to serve.

Checking the seat he was to take, he was surprised he was right next to Kihyun in opposition to the best man, his cousin. He smiled nonetheless and began to chat idly with said cousin while the two husbands made the rest of their way to the main table one picture at a time.

Minhyuk had teasingly pulled out his phone just to see Kihyun's teary eyes roll, even though he would have another chance once he gave his speech. Noticing the slight green color coming from the top of his phone, he only got the chance to unlock it before the smell of freshly roasted barbecue made it's way to his nose and his stomach took over his mind.

-

"This-- Minhyuk-" Kihyun looked at the files in front of him, up at his crying mother, and then to Hyunwoo. "I-- I can't possibly accept this- I couldn't-"

"You can, and you will." Minhyuk laughed, pushing the papers towards Kihyun once more.

"This" Kihyun crumpled the sides of the stack slightly in his attempts to clench his fist. "You're giving away your artistic freedom to me as a small wedding present Minhyuk-"

"You make it sound like it'll be easy for you to persuade me," with his fingers pressed to Kihyun's lips he winked and continued, "I'm not the most stubborn person, I'm pretty sure you'd get me to agree if you were set on the idea, but I am annoying when it comes to what I want to do. All you have to do is sign the papers, it's an offer. Just keep in mind, I act exactly the same, client or not." He brought a pen out of his back pocket and handed it over to his possible future manager.

Once the pen was out of his hand he straightened his back and smiled as Kihyun signed the marked line, sealing the deal. He took his copy and laughed when arms were wrapped around his neck and his balance was threatened. He returned the hug and amused himself with the idea of Kihyun being so happy about five papers stapled together.

They stepped away from each other, Kihyun beaming and Minhyuk smiling. He was about to apologize to Hyunwoo for the lack of something special but a ring came from his pocket and he would have ignored it if Hyunwoo didn't need to get the door after the bell was rung.

Pulling out his phone he excused himself to the kitchen, turning his back on the couple when he saw it was just a delivery man. "Yujin? I thought you were at work."

"I am. Aren't you coming to get him?" A light sparked in the back of Minhyuk's mind and he forced it off, it couldn't have been what he was thinking. "He's crying"

Minhyuk stole a look at the living room and the light shone brighter at Kihyun's expression; hand covering his mouth as the other reached toward a letter on top of the small box.

"Didn't you see my text?" Minhyuk couldn't bring himself to reply as he watched Kihyun struggle to open the letter, only remembering Hyunwoo was in the room when he took the fragile envelope from his husband so the opening process would be easier. He continued to stare as the passage was passed back to Kihyun.

He didn't seem to read much before a small sob was let out of his throat and Minhyuk was brought back to his phone call with words that sent him sprinting for the door.

"Hyungwon's back,"

-

He could see his reflection in the black windows, through the tint he could make out a person at the counter resting their cheek against the cool surface and his best friend accompanying the poor guy. Yujin's eyes flickered up for a split second and his expression already morphed into one of annoyance as he angrily pointed down to the drunkard.

Minhyuk furrowed his brows and later he would figure flailing his arms around himself in front of a bar doesn't make him seem like the soberest person. Slowly pushing his way inside a wave of emotions crashed over him when the locks of blond hair turned and a face came into view.

At first, he wanted to punch the other. He wanted to let out the entire two years worth of anguish in a fist fight with the blond but all he did was bite his lip and wait for him to react. His eyes moved from the tousled hair to the furrowed eyebrows above glazed eyes, which must have been crying if there were tear stains on those plush cheeks. His face shape had slimmed down, his shoulders were hunched over but still broad in comparison to the size of his head. Minhyuk let out a small breath through his nose when Hyungwon began to speak. 

"You look like Minhyuk," the voice pointed out, a slightly airy feel to the tone and a giggle following. "I miss him," Minhyuk mentally winced at the words and he sat down in the chair next over, trying to listen to the soft mumbles Hyungwon let out.

"What?" He asked automatically, immediately working to take it back but he would have missed the second round of words.

"Minhyuk would look really good with black hair." Being mentioned like he wasn't the topic at hand, he wondered if it would be a good idea to play along or not. Before he could find out for himself Yujin spoke up.

"What if you saw Minhyuk?" Hyungwon's eyes widened and he looked around in a moment of panic, pouring guilt into the pit of Minhyuk's stomach. When Hyungwon was done scanning the area he relaxed and pouted down at the counter.

"I want to tell him I'm sorry, but, but I don't know if he even wants to see me. He... He left me and it's all my fault." Yujin looked to Minhyuk with a warning, telling him he did not want to see Hyungwon cry for the who-knows-what'nth time.

"Can you stand?" Minhyuk finally spoke to the other and for a moment he thought Hyungwon recognized him, his voice hasn't changed the slightest, but Hyungwon just bit his lip before telling Minhyuk he sounded a lot like himself.

"Where are you going to bring me?" Hyungwon asked, getting on the 'stranger's back nonetheless.

"My house, but I won't do anything, I just don't trust your instructions or a taxi, especially if they know who you are."

Hyungwon pushed away from his back a little and it forced Minhyuk to hold on tighter than he wanted. "You know who I am?"

"I've seen all of your shows, and movies, I'm a huge fan." He said it as easy as it was honest but a moment of silence later he realized how weird it came out. "Wait-"

There was a vibration coming from his back, it was Hyungwon's laugh. He smiled, holding the blond closer. "You remind me a lot of him... He never thought before he spoke, I even think you smell like him, but it's probably how drunk I am." Minhyuk wanted to prove him wrong but remembering the panicked expression he wore earlier, he decided against it and opened his car door.

Getting into the driver's seat he held his breath when a face appeared so close to his when he went to buckle his seatbelt.  "What are you doing?" He whispered, like anything louder would bring his lips closer to the others.

"Can I kiss you?" Hyungwon whispered back, the smell of alcohol filling Minhyuk's senses. There was a long pause and Minhyuk's lips were dry but he cleared his throat and looked away before wetting them.

"I don't think that's right. You're drunk and not thinking correctly." He started the car and waited for the engine to warm along with the buckling of Hyungwon's seatbelt.

"Hyungwon," Minhyuk asked outside of his apartment door. The sleepy adult hummed to let him know he was listening. "What made you come back?" He didn't stop and wait for an answer, he simply helped the other get ready for bed. He wondered if he should have brought Hyungwon back to his old apartment, he had kept it reserved because of memories. Maybe he should have brought him to Kihyun, but if Hyungwon wanted to see the manager, he would have called him. He wondered if Hyungwon would have stayed if Minhyuk hadn't come and get him.

He could have gone to any bar, but he chose the one Yujin worked at. It could have been the memories of them together but even so, he knew there was a chance of bumping into Minhyuk.

Before he left the room he heard the faint whisper, he wouldn't have caught it if the question he asked earlier wasn't on his mind.

"I still love him."

-

Hyungwon pushed the heels of his palms to his eyes and kept them closed for a bit more after removing his hands.

Resting there for a while he curled up in the blankets around him he thought about the past two years.

Even as Hoseok warned him to cancel the line, he texted the number every day and Hoseok had the courtesy to read. Some days Hyungwon would ask for a message to be passed on, knowing well enough Hoseok wouldn't do so. Some days he would explain how sorry he was, how he knew what he was doing was horrible. Other days he would pretend the messages were small diary entries, he even sent a message starting with, "Dear Diary," in hopes to get a laugh out of Hoseok but to no avail. 

He had never missed a day out of the six-hundred-and-sixty-nine of being gone. On the six-hundred-and-seventieth, Hoseok had texted back for the first time telling Hyungwon about the wedding.

The next sixty days were filled with the usual unanswered messages. Hyungwon was still undecided on his present, he had bought matching towels for the couple and wrote a note in apology for missing the wedding, but the option of going to see them on their special day weighed him down. The day after, Hoseok sent a simple goodbye message and Hyungwon felt his heart drop.

'Hyungwon, I guess two years is my limit. Telling you about the wedding was the last thing I could think of that had a chance of bringing you back. Whether you come back or not, this is goodbye. By the time you finish reading this message, if you decide to read up till now-' 

Hyungwon hadn't pressed call faster in his life. The phone continued to ring and ring till eventually it got connected. "Hoseok-"

"You're not going huh?" The question made him sit back on his heels in shock.

"Hoseok-"

"I'm sorry Hyungwon, sorry I couldn't understand you, I'm sorry I didn't do enough to make you happy, I'm sorry I couldn't make you fall in love with me. I'm sorry for falling in love with you and I'm sorry we can't stay as friends. I'm sorry I was selfish and kept the phone, I'm sorry I helped you stay hidden from Minhyuk and Kihyun, I'm sorry for being selfish like that-"

"Hoseok you're not-"

"I am. If I really wanted to do what's best for you I would have told them where you were already, I would have given them this phone, I would have brought you back to the people who make you happy." There was a moment of silence when Hoseok began to choke up on his words, "But no, I didn't do that, I can't do that because I'm just that fucking selfish. I'm sorry Hyungwon, I even sent the message knowing you would call I'll just go-"

"Hoseok-"

"Hyungwon," it was a warning, and it silenced said man, "Go to the wedding."

And the call ended.

No matter how many times Hyungwon called after that, it wouldn't go through, it would ring, and ring, and ring. Hyungwon tried to look at the blurred out phone screen, pressing call one more time and getting sent straight to voicemail. He resisted the urge to throw his phone, moving back to his messages to read the rest of Hoseok's text.

'You probably called me then, and if I decide to follow through, I hung up and told you to go to the wedding. I probably didn't get you to promise, but I'm begging you to please go. There's one person that makes you the happiest I've ever seen. If you weren't happy where you are now, you would have moved on and canceled the phone bill like I told you to. You still love him Hyungwon, and I know it. Maybe we'll meet again, maybe not, but I can't get over you if you keep messaging me every day. I don't know if it'll hurt you, I'd feel honored if you were worried about me, but if I'm going to get over you, this is the best way. You'll be happy with Minhyuk, I promise. It'll be hard at first but you both love each other still. You'll wonder how I know, I just do. Goodbye Hyungwon. I'm sorry."

Hyungwon hadn't slept that night, he stayed up crying, reading through the message over and over again, he tried calling a few times but continued to get sent to voicemail. He had calmed his tears by the time the sun rose but he couldn't bring himself to move from his spot. His eyes were heavy, his heart even heavier. His thoughts moved to the wedding that would be taking place in a few hours if he went he would make it by vows but there wasn't a will in his body to get ready.

Suddenly his phone was ringing and his eyes rolled towards the flashing screen, it was an unknown number. He ignored it and continued to stare at the wall. The ringing continued and he felt a sense of deja vu. The third time his phone went off he answered but remained silent.

"M-Mister Hyungwon?" Hyungwon stayed silent, blinking twice before looking down at his phone again, static filled his ears and for a moment he thought he had imagined the young voice, it was matured slightly but held the same innocence, the same wavering hesitance in every word, the same accent.

"Mister Hyungwon?" It came again, steadier this time and Hyungwon took a long breath in through his nose.

"Chan?"

"Mister Hyungwon!" There were so many emotions behind his name, and he felt his eyes turn hot once more.

"Hey," he offered weakly, "H-how are you?"

"Mister Hyungwon," the sob came, and Hyungwon managed to let out a laugh of disbelief, pulling his knees closer to his chest as it bubbled with laughter and his heart was wrung painfully dry by the broken, relief filled voice."I-I miss y-you so mu-uch"

"I miss you too Chan... How did you get this number?" He wiped his face with the bedsheets, feeling a bit better listening to the kid but still making no attempts to move from his spot.

"M-Mister Mark a-and Mister Ja-ackson got it f-from another guy a-and he said he kn-new where you were b-but he said you- you didn't want t-to come- to come b-back." And Chan was crying again. The crying got fainter before a booming voice threatened to deafen him.

"Hey, Mister Hyungwon?? Where have you been all these years? You have a lot of people back home who are worried! Almost got a little bird lost trying to go after you."

"J-Jackson? I'm sorry Chan can-"

"I wasn't talking about Chan." Jackson's voice was teasing but it still managed to make Hyungwon forget how to breathe. His heart suddenly filled up with anxiety as his mind made a list of who they may be talking about.

"You're not talking about-"

"It's exactly who I'm talking about, every time he comes to help he drives off in the opposite direction, every time, Hyungwon. I can't tell you to love him again if you don't but at least let him apologize."

"I-..." Hyungwon couldn't find the right words to say, and Jackson seemed to notice since Chan's voice came through his speaker again. 

"I-I'm never g-gonna see y-you again?" Hyungwon bit his lip. Eyeing his bedroom door he tried to imagine what would happen if he stepped outside of it. Chan misses him, but he can't take care of Chan, not with how he is right now. Kihyun probably misses him, but he and Hyunwoo are getting married today, they'll be busy together. He looked at the unsent towels and thought of Minhyuk. Minhyuk left him, Minhyuk wouldn't come back--

"Mister Minhyuk always comes back"

Chan's words before suddenly rang through his head and he shook it in attempts to get rid of the thought, but the words stuck to him like his own skin.

"Chan..." he said quietly.

"Y-yes Mister Hyungwon?"

"Does Mister Minhyuk still visit you guys?" There was a sniffle on the other side of the line and his heart sped up in anticipation.

"Almost every d-day. H-he couldn't today because h-he's going to a wedding. B-but! I could let y-y-you talk t-tomorrow since you w-won't come back." Hyungwon truly smiled for the first time in a while.

"Chan?" He asked, straightening his legs and stretching, his body physically spasming from the aftermaths of his sobs.

"Y-yes?"

"Do you still have my bracelet?" There was a silence on the other end of the line and Hyungwon worried that the answer wouldn't be what he wanted to hear but a loud, tear-filled "Yes" met his ears and he finally got off the bed.

His happiness only lasted for a while, during the car ride back his thoughts wandered to the past, how he would return only to be left. His mind moved to the possibilities of Minhyuk seeing him again and finding Hyungwon different than how he was before. What if Minhyuk wouldn't be patient? Hyungwon knew it was going to be hard to get back into rhythm with how things were, none of them knew how long it would be, what if Minhyuk couldn't wait and decides to leave him just like Hoseok did?

He bit his lip and managed to keep his tears at bay until the car stopped in front of the post office. After paying the driver he ducked his head and walked in with the towels in hand. The office worker hadn't recognized him, and there was no comment on how red his eyes were from crying, the setting made it seem like there wasn't anything wrong. He felt a bit silly for thinking so in such a trivial place but he could feel himself relax with every minute he waited to be handed papers to fill out.

"U-um," he spoke up before they could set the package in the back. "Could you deliver that today? It's my friend's wedding..." and for the first time, the worker took a good look at him. He felt his cheeks heat up under the gaze and breathed out a sigh of relief when he saw the girl smile and nod.

Walking out again he was hit with the realization Kihyun and Hyunwoo now belonged to each other, Hyungwon was put second. While it wasn't the worst thing in the world but he felt pushed away. Figuring he deserved it he kept his head low and aimlessly walked around the city. He could remember walking around with Minhyuk, the memory of the other's hand still fresh in his mind.

The next time he looked up he was in front of the bar Minhyuk brought him to, he could feel a slight tug at his lips as he remembered meeting the fan. Without thinking, his hand was on the handle and he was pushing his way through the doors.

There weren't many people on the first floor, similar to his last visit, and surprisingly, the same worker from that night was still there and he recognized the other immediately. Thankfully he didn't make a big outburst but the reaction was still big enough to bring the heat back to Hyungwon's cheeks.

"Y-you're alive?!" The question caught Hyungwon off guard he turned to make sure he was the one spoken to.

"Does everyone think I'm dead?" He asked quietly once he sat at the counter.

"No, Minhyuk doesn't tell me anything but he suddenly stopped talking about you so I had assumed you died but-" Yujin caught the small flash of sadness going through Hyungwon's eyes at the mention of his best friend's name. "Did... Something happen between you two? He gets really sad when I bring you up and I can tell your mood got darker when you heard his name."

Hyungwon hadn't even known when Yujin started handing him drinks, nor did he remember if it was out of pity or if he asked for them and the bartender was just doing his job, what he did remember, was seeing someone that looked, smelled, and sounded exactly like Minhyuk, picking him up and bringing him to their house.

Jerking up he held his head and tried his best to get a good look at where he was. There didn't seem to be anything dangerous in the room, he was fully clothed, but in a different outfit than what he came in. He didn't feel any other damage to his body other than his head, and he was able to freely move his hands and legs.

He looked around at the desk near the bed and blinked when he saw his own face, confused until he recognized it as one of his movies. He took another look around and found more of his films on a chair next to the television at the end of the room.

His hand reached out to the phone at his bedside to check the time 5:27; he almost slept for a whole day in this stranger's bed.

Creating a mission for himself to find his own clothes he turned on the lamp, groaning at the sudden brightness and falling back onto the bed he waited for the pain to subside before attempting to get up again. He made a full round in the room, but he found none of his belongings aside from his phone.

He peeked his head out of the doorway and checked for any company before blindly wandering through the darkening hallway to where the laundry room would be. The first door he opened, another door further down the hallway, was another bedroom surprisingly lacking signs of a person sleeping in it. It was like another guest room.

The door across was the bathroom, and the sudden need to empty his bladder hit him but he decided he could do so when he would change. He found a small office behind the last door, across from the bedroom he had woken up in. There were papers messily stacked at the corner of the single desk, along with a few films occupying the bookshelf behind it. There was another television in the room and Hyungwon left without another look, feeling like it was a personal space.

Making his way to the other side of the house he caught the sight of who he guessed to be the home's owner on the couch, hugging a pillow, which hid his face and taking a nap. Hyungwon held his breath and hoped the owner wasn't a light sleeper when every step down the living room creaked under the weight of the tall male.

Unfortunately, the owner must not have been in a deep stage of sleep, Hyungwon--only on his third step into the room--frantically looked around for a place to hide.

Eyes fluttered open and were rubbed with slim fingers before focus was zeroed in on the guest. Making eye contact, Hyungwon's jaw went slack when he got a full view of the other's face. It was no look-alike of Minhyuk.

"You're awake," The voice was hoarse, with something more than just sleep, Hyungwon knew what it was like to talk with that voice, and he swallowed a lump in his throat before speaking.

"Where's your laundry room?" Minhyuk's eyes flickered down the hallway for a brief second and Hyungwon began to continue his way but a call glued his feet to the hardwood immediately.

"Will you come back when you're changed?" The question was quiet as if Minhyuk was afraid Hyungwon would run away at a louder tone. Minhyuk wasn't looking at him when he nodded but didn't make a move from the couch when he finally disappeared.

When he came back Minhyuk was in the kitchen. He hadn't changed out of the clothes yet, whether it was because there was no lock on the door or he wanted to stay surrounded in Minhyuk's belongings for a little longer he didn't know but he asked for permission to use the bathroom.

Seeing his reflection in the mirror he pinched the skin on his forearm and hissed when pain flared throughout the area. A million questions were blaring through his mind but he felt unusually calm like there wasn't anything he had to worry about since Minhyuk had wanted him to stay.

He smelled the makings of coffee when he came back out to the living room. A familiar silence enveloped the two when Hyungwon sat at the counter and Minhyuk fixed up two cups of coffee and one for water, sliding a pill next to the two cups before taking a sip of his own drink.

Hyungwon took the painkiller in the silence, stealing glances at Minhyuk with every touch of a new object. He downed the glass of water before sipping his own coffee. He could see Minhyuk moving towards him while he stared at a spot on the counter, and only turned when the brunette stopped at his side.

Setting the cup down and looking up at the deep brown eyes he hasn't seen for two years, he couldn't hold in the wave of emotions coursing through him from showing on his face. His lips wanted him to smile, but his eyes stung with sadness and guilt, his cheeks got warm from the attention and his hands reached out to touch the other but stopped before anything could happen.

He had begun to bring his hands back but arms were wrapped around his neck and his face was being pushed into a chest, where he wished he could stay.

"I missed you so much." Minhyuk's voice was broken and Hyungwon hesitantly brought his hands back up, like he was waiting for Minhyuk to let go, but the hug went on and Hyungwon was able to hold Minhyuk there.

He turned his head and closed his eyes as he took in the whole situation, he could feel Minhyuk's broken breathing from trying to cry silently, and he would have told the other to let it out if he wasn't trying to do the same thing. He could feel the slight shake in Minhyuk's arms as he pulled Hyungwon closer to him but made sure the other could still breathe at the same time. He noticed the way Minhyuk would move his lips to kiss the top of his head, letting Hyungwon know he was still there and he still loved the other.

Hyungwon's own knuckles turned white from how hard he was holding the back of Minhyuk's shirt, he pressed his eyes to the cloth covering the bare skin of Minhyuk's shoulder and stopped the tears by letting them seep into the fabric.

"I'm sorry," he whimpered, pulling Minhyuk closer so he couldn't run away. "I-I thought you left," he continued, "I- I thought I wasn't needed a-and you were going to-"

"Hyungwon I'm not gonna leave you. I thought- I thought you wanted me to walk out that door but I never wanted to leave you. I just thought" Minhyuk's lips pressed down onto the skull of Hyungwon's head once more, "You seemed so okay with the idea, I thought it's what you wanted." Hyungwon's head shook furiously at his shoulder and Minhyuk threaded his fingers through the blond locks in an attempt to calm the other down. "Shhh, I know now, and I won't ever let you go ever again, even if you come to hate me in the future, even if aliens would come down to the earth offering to make me their king--which is totally awesome by the way--They would have to make you the princess for me to agree."

And there it was, the laugh he's been waiting to hear all this time. He laughed along, burying his face further into the hair he loves so much, on top of the head he loves so much, supporting the face he loves so much, leading to the neck he loves so much, and the shoulders he absolutely adores, which held the arms he could admire for the rest of his life, coming in pair with the hand he gets to hold and the fingers he gets to kiss and play with. Those same fingers pick up the clothes that cover the smooth, lean torso he would love to see more of. He had his favorite person in his arms, and he wasn't planning on letting go anytime soon.

"Minhyuk- I can't-" Hyungwon's strained voice caused Minhyuk to loosen his hold and settle for a touch of their fingers, which Hyungwon broke for a moment to push the black hair back and reveal a clean forehead. "When and why?" The question came, fingers rubbing the black strands lovingly.

"About a year ago, it reminded me of you. And this?" Minhyuk's free hand moved up towards Hyungwon's own blond locks before cupping a swollen face and wiping the tears away.

"The second day I was gone, I couldn't go as light as you went, but I did it because it reminded me of you too." Pushing the front hairs back, Hyungwon brought Minhyuk's face down in a kiss, smiling when Minhyuk's hands found his waist and brought them closer together.

Breaking away and resting their foreheads together Hyungwon shoved the other slightly when his morning breath was commented on.

"Technically it's evening breath," Hyungwon corrected, only to have his lips stolen near the end of his sentence.

-

"I don't know, he just told me that you had to order the small"

"He's been here, right? He knows they're going to prank me if I order a small?"

"From what I know, yeah he's been there, but he'd be mad if you didn't do what he wanted."

"You're right. The waiter's coming call you later."

"Bye"

"Hello sir, welcome to Asahan, are you ready to order?" The waiter pulled out a notepad and Hyungwon scanned over the menu he's seen over a million times before ordering what he usually gets but in a small. "Breakfast burrito, small please." Nodding, the waiter was off.

Hyungwon leaned back in the chair, tapping his fingernails on the table as he watched a group of friends get up and leave. He smiled at the young couples, laughing at nonsense because being full had made everything THAT much funnier.

It's been a good year since he had returned, it was easier than he thought it would be to get back into the same lifestyle they had before he left, and he could give Minhyuk all the credit. There were a few new things, like sharing a home and quitting the acting business, focusing more on dance and modeling. It was a nice year.

But he had no idea why Minhyuk had asked him out to Asahan for their year anniversary of the whole event, it wasn't that he hated the place, but there wasn't a big significance tied to their relationship, and forcing him to get pranked, he felt a small hope there was something special but he couldn't think about it too much since his order was called out.

His food was ready in record time, there was only so much that went into a fry and a squirt of ketchup, he anticipated it and sure enough, there was a-

Letter, with his name on it, set on the silver tray. He looked back up at the waiter to find Yujin winking down at him. His jaw dropped for a moment and he brought his attention back towards the letter. Yujin excused himself to the back and Hyungwon opened the note. He looked around self-consciously, making sure no one would look over his shoulder as he read.

'Dear Chae Hyungwon,'

Was all the letter said and he flipped the paper on to the back, checking for more words but there was nothing. Another person came through, calling his order, and Hyungwon smiled at Changkyun. He put down the current letter he was holding and took the second one from Changkyun's tray.

'I love you so much'

He rolled his eyes and looked at the next person coming to him, "Hi Jooheon," He greeted. The 'waiter' nodded and performed his job of delivering the next note to the customer.

'I would even give up living forever for you unless we could do it together. I'm all for that too'

He laughed and blinked when Hyunwoo stood in front of him, tray already revealed and paper waiting to be taken. "Thanks," he said, smiling and waving him off.

'Now I'm kind of scared.' Hyungwon raised a brow at the next 'waiter' Jackson. Said waiter didn't even hold a tray, just slapped a hand down on Hyungwon's shoulder and dropped the paper into his lap.

'Because I kind of know what you'll answer, but there's a chance I don't.' Hyungwon blinked when he saw Mark come up to him, placing the paper in his hands comfortably, apologizing for Jackson before going to scold his boyfriend.

'Now I know this is sudden.' He looked up expecting another waiter to come out but he sat there for a while before his best friend came out, tears brimming his eyes and the happiest smile he could put on his face. Hyungwon understood the situation in a moment and tears were brought to his eyes as well.

Kihyun handed him the paper and Hyungwon shook his head in disbelief. Kihyun hugged his best friend and wiped his tears away before taking his leave.

'But...'

Finally, his date came out, fancy suit and hair slicked back, showing off the forehead Hyungwon loved so much. He walked down dramatically, a towel draped over his forearm like a stereotypical butler would have, and Hyungwon laughed when his boyfriend waved to the other customers looking at him questioningly.

Dramatically unfolding the towel, Minhyuk gave it to Hyungwon at the same time he got down on one knee. There were gasps from all around and Hyungwon just pushed at Minhyuk's shoulder when he nodded towards a person staring from a table away.

"Chae Hyungwon," Minhyuk started, staring up at said male with the most love a person could hold in his eyes. "Will you take my hand in marriage?" He couldn't keep his laugh down as he broke into a grin. Hyungwon rolled his eyes at the slightly incorrect statement but grabbed Minhyuk by the collar and kissed him nonetheless. There were cheers all around them and they got even louder when Minhyuk slipped the ring onto Hyungwon's finger.

-

Hyungwon stood in front of the reflective surface and nitpicked at the smallest details till he could claim it was perfect, the only problem being he would never make that statement. Once he fixed one aspect of his appearance, another part was either messed up or a new imperfection was found.

He lost track of how long he had been standing there but the soles of his feet were beginning to get sore. Shifting his weight, he checked and rechecked until the one who had been watching him silently chuckled at his antics.

"You're such a princess, you've smoothed down every surface and picked off every piece of lint a normal person could see along with some I think were fake, you're fine." Minhyuk, supporting a matching suit stood from where he was and walked over to join the reflection.

"You don't understand, I have to look perfect-"

"For this one day and then return to the imperfect look you had once it's over? Your husband's not here to marry the perfect you, he's never seen that nor will he ever. He's marrying the one he's known till now and the one you will be after this." A hand was placed on Hyungwon's hip as the two looked at each other, grins on their faces despite the playful banter.

"Marriage is supposed to be the happiest day of your life, I don't wanna look like a slob."

"And you don't, you look stressed, not happy. If anything, even if you showed up in sweats, hair ruffled from what we did the night before, and teeth not even brushed, I would still be honored to get married to you." Minhyuk continued to explain and pressed a kiss to Hyungwon's cheek.

"You don't get it you don't-"

"Overthink? I don't. And I'm not planning on doing so anytime soon, marriage just makes it so that you can't legally go off and cheat on me, especially with how easy it would be for you to do so," arms wrapped around the labeled princess and another kiss was planted on his cheek.

Hyungwon moved around in the hold, complaining about the wrinkles being formed on his suit from the hug. "If I'm the princess doesn't that make you the prince I'm getting married to? You should make yourself presentable as well."

"Are you saying I don't look amazing in this suit?" The embrace was broken so Minhyuk could spin around, expecting to be admired by Hyungwon but getting a roll of eyes and a replay of the scene he saw just ten minutes before.

"Are you done?" Minhyuk asked once Hyungwon's hand dropped to his side. There was silence and Minhyuk spoke up again. "Are you thinking of him again?"

"I just... wish he was here... I didn't think he would be gone for this long." A deep breath was taken then let go. "I just wonder if it's better he's not here or if he should have been."

"He liked you before I did, and he loves you, I'm sure he still does, but I think it would have hurt him more to see us get married."

With a nod, the two finally left, with one final check in the mirror, to their wedding.

-

It was time for the vows, and Minhyuk took Hyungwon's hands gently, bringing them up to his lips in a kiss just to get a laugh out of his husband-to-be before starting.

"Chae Hyungwon, you're... Someone I lied to the first time I met them." Minhyuk laughed nervously, "Someone I stalked so I could get my best friend his signature," there was a yell from the back of the church and grins were plastered on everyone's face. "A man that wouldn't recognize me without my glasses. A man so easily persuaded. The person I fell in love with at first sight." 

"Chae Hyungwon is a person I think about a lot, for someone who doesn't think that often, I mean A LOT. I'm always wondering what he's thinking, but most of the time I don't need to wonder, I can see it clear as a summer day. But oh does he make me think. He makes me think about how lucky I am to have him, and he makes me think about why doesn't see it. He makes me think about whether I deserve him while he thinks the same thing. He makes me think about the future a lot, we've thought about this day several times, and the joy I thought I would feel can't even compare to the amount I'm feeling right now."

"He makes me feel like I have direction like I have a place to stay. I love him more than anything else in the world." Hyunwon blushed at the amounts of coos coming from their guests and cleared his throat to start his own vows.

"Lee Minhyuk. A name that falls from my lips perfectly, a person I can claim I love without a second doubt. Someone who can see through all my lies, though I've been told they aren't very good." There was a snicker from someone in the audience and he was pretty sure it was Jackson but he let it slide.

"Lee Minhyuk, this man I thought would be way too perfect for me and I would have never imagined marrying five years ago, this man that makes my mind stop working and encourages me to do whatever I want, because I know he'll continue to love me. Lee Minhyuk, the one who keeps coming back." He squeezed the hand he held in his and blinked away his tears.

"The one I've shed so many tears for because I can't seem to hold them back when it comes to him. The one that knows when I pretend. And the one that won't let me do it every again. I love you, Lee Minhyuk, I love you so much it hurts." Soft laughs filled the air and Minhyuk squeezed Hyungwon's hands back in response.

The two looked to Jisoo at the same time, waiting for the traditional wedding vows.

"Lee Minhyuk, do you take Chae Hyungwon to be your husband, to love and cherish, to protect and correct, to trust and honor, in sickness and in health, rich or poor, best and worse, till death do you part?" Minhyuk stared into Hyungwon's eyes, his own glistening with fresh tears. He nodded and spoke at the same time.

"I do."

"And Chae Hyungwon, do you take Lee Minhyuk to be your husband, to love and cherish, to protect and correct, to trust and honor, in sickness and in health, rich or poor, best and worse, till death do you part?" Hyungwon took a deep breath, looking at Minhyuk, to his best men Kihyun and Hyunwoo, to Minhyuk's best men Jooheon and Changkyun. He looked towards the audience where he saw Chan sitting front row, wiping his tears away when he noticed Hyungwon paying attention to him.

He looked back to his husband, the one that made this possible, the one that has brought him true happiness and there couldn't have been a more perfect set of words to describe how he felt but the two that gave his entire heart to the person he trusted the most.

"I do." 


End file.
